Gassett conducted hearings, resolved motions and handled business Wednesday on the civil docket that he has presided over on the fifth floor of the Tulsa County Courthouse.

Gassett announced in April that he was retiring from his judgeship, effective Wednesday. He subsequently applied for “active retired” judicial status, and the state Supreme Court granted that request.

With that status, Gassett will continue to handle his civil docket through July.

The judge said he decided to stay on the bench a little longer to focus on some unfinished cases in which he is familiar with the evidence and issues.

Gassett has spent almost 25 years on the bench. He became a special judge in August 1984 and became a district judge in 1997.

For 2½ years, he has been the presiding judge for the judicial district that consists of Tulsa and Pawnee counties.

With Gassett’s change in status, District Judge Tom Thornbrugh became the new presiding judge, effective Wednesday.

When Gassett concludes his July workload, Associate District Judge Dana Kuehn is in line to assume his civil docket. Kuehn now has a felony docket in the Criminal Courts Division, and she likely will call two dockets while the courthouse is two short of its normal contingent of district judges because of retirements.

District Judge Gordon McAllister, a veteran of more than 25 years on the bench, marked his last day in office Tuesday.

He became a district judge in 2003 after working 20 years as a special judge.

The Oklahoma Judicial Nominating Commission is expected to submit a list of finalists in September for both Tulsa County judicial vacancies. Gov. Brad Henry will appoint the new district judges.

During the interim, judges are expected to rotate calling the felony docket that McAllister has relinquished.