Oklahomans are an honest, straightforward, hardworking people, but our court system is deeply corrupt. Politicians come and go, but Courts run the horror show and the “reform” enacted in 1967 made it much worse. The Oklahoma judiciary leans so hard left that some law professors warn students that they will never make a living in law, if registered Republican or thought to be honestly conservative.

By the Grace of God, some lawyers “fight the good fight” regardless.

Recently Oklahoma Rep. Mark Lepak (Dist. 9) wrote about how this came to pass.

“The Oklahoma Bar Association (OBA) worked for decades to establish the Judicial Nominating Committee (JNC). Using a bribery scandal on the Supreme Court, they succeeded with the passage of a state question enshrining the process in our constitution (nothing about the selection process prevents a Justice from accepting a bribe).

“On the same ballot, voters were asked to consider direct election of Justices, which captured more votes. However, JNC proponents saw to it that the language in the JNC question said it would prevail if both measures passed. Clever lawyers,” Lepak wrote.

This year, the Oklahoma Senate passed a JNC reform package, but the Oklahoma House of Representatives did not. Without here naming those responsible, please know that politicians who pander for money from the Oklahoma Bar Association and the JNC will never win the office of Oklahoma Governor. Your record of betrayal will be promoted to constitutions – with great enthusiasm and resolve.

We support Constitutionally based judges and the following Judicial Retention Voter Guide is provided from public records, conversations with officers of the court, and policy experts for your considerations.

OKLAHOMA, SHALL THESE BE RETAINED?

Name (Voter registration record, age of judge, appointing governor)

SUPREME COURT:

These first three have been rewriting Oklahoma law rather than following it for decades.

Noma Gurich (R, 72, Henry) NO

Yvonne Kauger (I, 87, Nigh) NO

James Edmondson (D, 79, Henry) NO

COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS:

William J. Musseman (R, 52, Stitt) YES

Scott Rowland (R, 60, Fallin) YES

David B. Lewis (R, 66, Henry) NO

COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS:

James R. Huber (R, 56, Stitt) YES

Timothy J. Downing (R, 45, Stitt) YES

Thomas E. Prince (R, 67, Stitt) YES

Robert D. Bell (R, 57, Henry) NO

E. Bay Mitchell III (R, 70, Keating) YES

Brian Jack Goree (R, 60, Fallin) NO