Voters returl all judges to office
BY BILL BRAUN World Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 07, 2012
11/07/12 at 4:09 AM
Election Day Photo Essay: See all the photographs taken by Multimedia Producer John Clanton throughout the day in Tulsa, chronicling what happened and the point of views of Tulsans of both parties.
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Twelve members of Oklahoma's appellate courts accumulated similar and comfortable margins of voter support Tuesday in winning the right to remain in office.
With 1,920 out of 1,960 precincts reporting in statewide voting, all justices and judges on the retention ballot were getting approval margins ranging from 65.5 percent to 67.3 percent. Only majority voter support was necessary for them to keep their jobs.
Four justices on the nine-member Supreme Court - Noma Gurich, James Edmondson, Yvonne Kauger and Douglas Combs - got the voter support needed under a "yes-no" system to remain on the bench of the state's highest court.
The remaining five justices were not up for retention this election.
Three judges on the five-member Court of Criminal Appeals - Clancy Smith, David Lewis and Arlene Johnson - were also retained by voters Tuesday.
Five judges on the 12-member Court of Civil Appeals - Tom Thornbrugh, Robert Bell, William Hetherington Jr., Kenneth Buettner and E. Bay Mitchell III - also succeeded in winning the right to remain in their judgeships.
The term of office for appellate court members is six years. However, five of this year's retention candidates face the prospect of another election in less than six years because they were appointed to serve out the unexpired terms of their predecessors.
If any office-holder had been rejected by voters, Gov. Mary Fallin would have appointed a replacement.
No Oklahoma justice or judge has ever been defeated through the statewide retention voting process.
Judicial candidates are listed on ballots without affiliation to a political party.
The typically low-profile retention voting system generated some headlines this year when the Oklahoma Civil Justice Council surfaced with inaugural ratings results of the council's evaluation of Supreme Court justices.
The ratings were based on an analysis of cases that can have "an impact on the economic development and institutional life of a state and that can involve liability creation and its expansion or restraint," according to a news release by the State Chamber-backed council.
In response to that business-oriented ratings system for the judiciary, the Oklahoma Bar Association created a website to provide voters with what a bar association official described as "nonbiased - just the facts" information about judicial candidates.
The Supreme Court administers the state's judicial system. It is the state's court of last resort on civil matters, with general superintendent control over lower courts.
The Court of Civil Appeals is an intermediate appellate court for civil cases.
The Court of Criminal Appeals is the state's top court on criminal law.
Judicial Retention
Supreme Court
NOMA GURICH
retained
1,920 of 1,960 precincts
Yes 762,107 66%
No 385,679 34%
YVONNE KAUGER
retained
1,920 of 1,960 precincts
Yes 747,899 66%
No 392,229 34%
jAMES eDMONDSON
retained
1,920 of 1,960 precincts
Yes 764,737 67%
No 378,979 33%
DOUGLAS COMBS
retained
1,920 of 1,960 precincts
Yes 756,582 66%
No 383,586 34%
Criminal appeals Court
DAVID LEWIS
retained
1,920 of 1,960 precincts
Yes 756,176 67%
No 373,322 33%
CLANCY SMITH
retained
1,920 of 1,960 precincts
Yes 745,464 66%
No 388,211 34%
ARLENE JOHNSON
retained
1,920 of 1,960 precincts
Yes 752,592 67%
No 378,738 33%
civil appeals Court
TOM THORNBRUGH
retained
1,920 of 1,960 precincts
Yes 759,245 67%
No 369,473 33%
ROBERT BELL
retained
1,920 of 1,960 precincts
Yes 739,385 66%
No 383,115 34%
KENNETH BUETTNER
retained
1,920 of 1,960 precincts
Yes 754,298 67%
No 368,016 33%
E. BAY MITCHELL III
retained
1,920 of 1,960 precincts
Yes 750,445 67%
No 372,521 33%
WM. HETHERINGTON JR.
retained
1,920 of 1,960 precincts
Yes 735,949 66%
No 387,194 34%
Original Print Headline: Voters approve keeping judges in office
Bill Braun 918-581-8455
bill.braun@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
Gurich
Edmondson
Kauger
Combs
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