SECOND EMERGENCY JOINT ORDER REGARDING THE COVID-19 STATE OF DISASTER

PDF SCAD 2020-29

1. The First Emergency Joint Order entered on March 16, 2020 remains in effect except as it is modified herein. To the extent the Joint Emergency Orders conflict with local practices, the First and Second Emergency Joint Orders control.

2. On March 24, 2020, Governor J. Kevin Stitt issued the Fourth Amended Executive Order 2020-07 and ordered that additional steps be taken to protect all Oklahomans from the growing threat of COVID-19. This Second Emergency Joint Order joins the Governor in addressing the ever changing situation in the district courts in all 77 counties as well as the appellate courts in Oklahoma and Tulsa Counties. We admonish all Oklahoma judges, court clerks, court employees and staff and the public to follow the guidelines to protect public health set forth in the Governor’s Executive Orders, those issued by the Oklahoma Department of Health and the CDC.

3. All district courts in Oklahoma shall immediately cancel all jury terms through May 15, 2020. No additional jurors shall be summoned without approval of the Chief Justice. All civil, criminal and juvenile jury trials shall be continued to the next available jury dockets. If necessary, additional jury terms may be ordered in July and/or August or later in the year.

4. Subject only to constitutional limitations, all deadlines and procedures whether prescribed by statute, rule or order in any civil, juvenile or criminal case, shall be suspended through May 15, 2020. This suspension also applies to appellate rules and procedures for the Supreme Court, the Court of Criminal Appeals, and the Court of Civil Appeals.

5. In any civil case, the statute of limitations shall be extended through May 15, 2020.

6. All courthouses in all 77 counties shall be closed to the public with exceptions for emergencies as permitted by local order. To the extent that emergency dockets are being held, no more than 10 persons including the judge and court personnel shall be in a courtroom at one time. Judges and other courthouse personnel shall use all available means to ensure the health of all participants in any court proceeding. If judges continue to hold hearings, all of the mandated COVID-19 precautions issued by the CDC and all State and local governments shall be followed. Judges shall continue to use remote participation to the extent possible by use of telephone conferencing, video conferencing pursuant to Rule 34 of the Rules for District Courts, or other means.

7. Court clerks and judges shall use email, fax and drop boxes for acceptance of written materials, except for emergencies. All appellate filings shall be made by mail.

8. This order is subject to extension or modification as necessitated by this emergency.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DONE BY ORDER OF THE SUPREME COURT IN CONFERENCE THIS 27TH DAY OF MARCH, 2020.

/s/NOMA D. GURICH, CHIEF JUSTICE

WITNESS OUR HANDS AND THE SEAL OF THIS COURT THIS 27TH DAY OF MARCH, 2020.

/s/DAVID B. LEWIS, PRESIDING JUDGE

The Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) today announced the following individuals have applied for the position of District Judge for Tulsa County, 14th Judicial District, Office 9:

• Lewis A. Berkowitz, Edmond
• Matthew D. Day, Tulsa
• Aaron J. Goodman, Tulsa
• Kevin J. Gray, Tulsa
• James R. Huber, Tulsa
• Alan J. Oxford, II, Tulsa
• Rodney B. Sparkman, Tulsa
• Jennifer L. Struble, Tulsa
• Timothy T. Trump, Tulsa
• Rick D. Wescott, Tulsa

Press Release

The Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) today announced the following individuals have applied for the position of District Judge for Okmulgee County, 24th Judicial District, Office 3:

• Lewis A. Berkowitz, Edmond
• Cynthia D. Pickering, Okmulgee
• Jeremy T. Pittman, Okmulgee
• Pandee A. Ramirez, Okmulgee
• Roderich W. Wiemer, Jr., Okmulgee
• Paula J. Wood, Oklahoma City

Press Release

The Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) today announced the following individuals have applied for the position of District Judge for Osage County, Tenth Judicial District, Office 1:

Lewis A. Berkowitz - Edmond
Michelle L. Bodine-Keely - Pawhuska
William D. Drake - Bartlesville
Stuart L. Tate - Fairfax
Brinton Skalnik - Skiatook

With assistance from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the JNC will immediately commence background reviews on these candidates, and interviews will be scheduled as soon as practicable at the conclusion of these background reviews. The JNC strongly encourages the public to submit comments on these applicants. Comments may be mailed to:

Administrative Office of the Courts
Attn: Tammy Reaves
2100 North Lincoln, Suite 3
Oklahoma City OK 73105 and/or

Jim Webb
Chair, Judicial Nominating Commission
Chesapeake Energy Corporation
P.O. Box 18496
Oklahoma City OK 73154-0496.

Press Release

Oklahoma Supreme Court Chief Justice James Winchester (left) congratulates Supreme Court Jutice Robert Lavender during his retirement ceremony in the Supreme Court chambers at the Oklahoma state Capitol in Oklahoma City, Okla., Tuesday, July 24, 2007. Photo by Paul Hellstern / The Oklahoman

The Honorable Robert E. Lavender (born July 19, 1926) passed away on March 23, 2020. Justice Lavender retired from the Supreme Court of Oklahoma in 2007, having served from 1965 to 2007. He served as the Court’s Chief Justice from 1979 to 1981. He was the longest serving justice with over 42 years on the Supreme Court bench. He was appointed to serve on the Oklahoma Supreme Court by Governor Henry Bellmon in 1965. He was retained by the voters later that year and subsequently in 1972, 1978, 1984, 1990, 1996, and 2002.

Justice Lavender was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and grew up first in Tulsa and then on a farm in Catoosa, outside of Tulsa, where he graduated from high school in 1944. Immediately enlisting in the United States Navy, he spent the final year of World War II, on reserve duty in the South Pacific. In 1953, he earned an LLB degree from the University of Tulsa College of Law.

Notices for District Courts in Oklahoma are compiled and updated on OSCN at http://www.oscn.net/notices/

The Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) today announced the following individuals have applied for the position of Judge for the Court of Civil Appeals, District 4, Office 2:

Gregory A. Barnard, Ardmore
Lewis A. Berkowitz, Edmond
Gregory C. Blackwell, Norman
Kate Naa-Amoah Dodoo, Moore
Trevor S. Pemberton, Oklahoma City
Marty R. Skrapka, Norman
Bevan G. Stockdell, Edmond

With assistance from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the JNC will immediately commence background reviews on these candidates, and interviews will be scheduled as soon as practicable at the conclusion of these background reviews.

The JNC strongly encourages the public to submit comments on these applicants. Comments may be mailed to:

Administrative Office of the Courts
Attn: Tammy Reaves
2100 North Lincoln, Suite 3
Oklahoma City OK 73105 and/or
Jim Webb
Chair, Judicial Nominating Commission
Chesapeake Energy Corporation
P.O. Box 18496
Oklahoma City OK 73154-0496.

Press Release