Stitt gets names of finalists for top court
Gov. Kevin Stitt will select his first Oklahoma Supreme Court j ustice from three applicants serving as state judges — a member of the state Court of Civil Appeals, a district judge and an associate district judge.
The Judicial Nominating Commission sent the three names to the governor last week after paring a list of seven applicants.
The governor will be filling a vacancy in a nine-county district in northern Oklahoma that was created when John R. Reif retired from the court earlier this year.
It is one of two vacancies on the ninejustice Oklahoma Supreme Court.
Donelle Harder, a
spokeswoman for St itt, said Tuesday, “The governor looks forward to meeting with the three candidates selected by the Judicial Nominating Commission and reviewing
their respective applications.
“The governor will be focused on selecting the most qualified applicant based on their legal tenure in the state of Oklahoma.”
The governor meets with the applicants in private. The Legislature has a role in selecting members of the Judicial Nominating Commission but not in picking justices.
For the District 1 vacancy, in northern Oklahoma, the Judicial Nominating Commission sent these applicants to Stitt:
• Deborah B. Barnes, 65, of Prue, a judge on the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals, which is a step below the state Supreme Court. Barnes was appointed to the appeals court in 2008 by former Gov. Brad Henry, a Democrat. Barnes was the only registered Democrat who applied for the District 1 vacancy.
• M. John Kane IV, 57, of Pawhuska, a district judge in Osage County.
• Russell Vaclaw, 46, of Bartlesville, an associate district judge in Washington County.
The Judicial Nominating Commission does not make public any information about its deliberations. Three of the four applicants who didn't make the final cut were district or associate district judges. The fourth was an attorney who used to work for Gateway Mortgage Group, the company founded by Stitt.
Stitt said during his campaign for governor last year that he wanted to appoint anti-abortion justices to the Oklahoma Supreme Court, though he did not provide details on how he would screen applicants on the issue.
The Judicial Nominating Commission has received seven applications for the second vacancy, in southeastern Oklahoma, created when Patrick Wyrick left the high court to become a U.S. district judge in Oklahoma City.
The applicants for the District 2 vacancy to replace Wyrick are:
•Gregory Barnard, an Ardmore attorney.
• Mark Campbell, 54, of Durant, a district judge.
• Marion D. Fry, 45, of Poteau, a Le Flore County associate district judge.
• Tim Mills, 56, of McAlester, a Pittsburg County associate district judge.
• Dustin P. Rowe, 43, of Tishomingo, an attorney and district judge for the Chickasaw Nation.
• Jonathan Sullivan, 56, of Poteau, a district judge.
• Jana K. Wallace, 57, of Antlers, a Pushmataha County associate district judge.
Barnard's age and voter registration could not be confirmed on Tuesday. The other six applicants are registered as Republicans.
The Judicial Nominating Commission will forward the names of three of the applicants to Stitt.
With two vacancies, Stitt will select as many justices in his first year as predecessor Mary Fallin did in eight years.