Longtime prosecutor named criminal appeals judge
Longtime Oklahoma County prosecutor Scott Rowland is the newest judge on the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.
“It’s an extraordinary honor to be appointed,” Rowland told The Oklahoman. “I love learning the law. I love writing about the law. I love applying the law. I look forward to doing that in a way that continues to serve Oklahoma.”
On Tuesday, Gov. Mary Fallin announced the appointment, which is effective immediately. Rowland, 53, of Oklahoma City, succeeds Judge Arlene Johnson, who resigned in August.
Rowland has served nearly 11 years as first assistant district attorney for Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater.
“I’m proudest of the way we’ve run this DA’s office, enforcing the law fairly, equally, no matter who you were,” Rowland said. “I’m proud to have been a part of that. I think that we have really made this the people’s DA’s office.”
He said he’ll miss the work atmosphere the most.
“This is a family of about 150 people who come in here every day and slug it out and it’s working the trenches,” he said of the DA’s office. “I’ve loved every second of it and I know that I’ll miss that, but I’m going on to things that I will love equally, as well.”
Rowland has served as general counsel to the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control, and is a former assistant attorney general for the state, according to a news release.
“Scott Rowland is knowledgeable in criminal law and has the right temperament and experience to be an appellate judge,” Fallin said. “He has proven in his more than 20 years as a public servant to be fair and respectful.”
Rowland said the position is about striking an important balance.
“The positions on the court of criminal appeals, they’re there to safeguard the constitutional rights of the accused. They’re there to safeguard the application of the law,” Rowland said. “What makes the job so important is balancing the rights of the accused versus the rights of victims and the rights of all Oklahomans.”
Last month, Rowland, as lead prosecutor, got a conviction in a high-profile cold case. Jurors convicted Anthony Joseph Palma in the 1997 disappearance and presumed death of 8-yearold Kirsten Renee Hatfield. The murder case relied primarily on DNA evidence since Kirsten’s body has never been found.