Оклахома Жоғарғы Соты

One of the two highest judicial bodies in the U. S. state of Oklahoma

The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is a court of appeal for non criminal cases, one of the two highest judicial bodies in the U. S. state of Oklahoma, and leads the judiciary of Oklahoma, the judicial branch of the government of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Supreme Court meets in the Oklahoma Judicial Center, having previously met in the Oklahoma State Capitol until 2011. The court consists of nine justices nominated by a state commission and appointed by the governor. Members of the court are required to be nonpartisan and are prohibited from a number of political activities including making or soliciting campaign contributions.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court was created by the ratification of the Oklahoma Constitution in 1907. After construction on the Oklahoma State Capitol, which was completed in 1917, the Oklahoma Supreme Court offices and chamber were housed in the building. Plans to move the offices began in 2006. The Oklahoma Constitution specifies the size of the Oklahoma Supreme Court; however, it also grants the state legislature the power to change the number of justices by statute. According to Article VII, section 2, of the Oklahoma Constitution, the court shall consist of nine justices, one justice from each of the nine judicial districts of the state.

Each justice, at the time of election or appointment, must be at least thirty years old, a registered voter in the Supreme Court judicial district they represent for at least one year before filing for the position and a licensed practicing attorney or judge (or both) in Oklahoma for five years before appointment. The potential justice must maintain certification as an attorney or judge while in office in order to remain in their position. Elected justices serve six years in office with a term beginning on the second Monday in January following the general election. Justices appointed to fill vacancies take office immediately and continue to serve in their appointed posts until the next general election. To be eligible to stand for reelection, justices must, within sixty days before the general election, submit their desire to stand for reelection to the Secretary of State. The justice is then put to election by the people of Oklahoma. If the majority votes to maintain the justice, the justice will serve for another six year term. However, if the justice declines reelection or the voters vote the justice down, the seat on the Supreme Court shall be considered vacant at the end of the current term and the Judicial Nominating Commission must search for a potential replacement. Justices who have failed to file for reelection or were not retained by the people in the general election are not eligible to immediately succeed themselves. In addition to appeals from the trial courts, the Oklahoma Supreme Court has jurisdiction over all lower courts, excluding the Oklahoma Court on the Judiciary, and the Oklahoma Senate, when that body is sitting as a Court of Impeachment. Judgments of the Oklahoma Supreme Court with respect to the Oklahoma Constitution are considered final. The court's authority includes the power to temporarily reassign judges. The Oklahoma Supreme Court also maintains the power to appoint an administrative director and staff. The director serves at the pleasure of the court to assist the chief justice in his administrative duties and to assist the Oklahoma Court on the Judiciary when it calls upon the office's administrative powers. The court has the power to issue, hear and determine writs of habeas corpus, mandamus, quo warranto, certiorari, prohibition and other remedial writs provided in statute and can be given further authority through statute. A justice of the court can issue the writ of habeas corpus to individuals held in custody if petitioned. Writs can be made to appear before any judge in the state.

Judicial officers are charged with maintaining the integrity and independence of the judiciary. Justices are required to be nonpartisan and are prohibited from using their office or powers to promote or assist any private interest. Justices may not hold offices in political parties, make speeches for candidates, or contribute to campaigns for political office. Justices are also forbidden from campaigning for their own re election unless there is active opposition to their retention in office. Even if justices or judges are actively campaigning for retention, they can not personally raise funds for their campaign.

The Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court is the highest ranking judicial officer in the State and is tasked with administering the state judiciary. Unlike the Supreme Court of the United States where one justice is specifically appointed to be chief, the office of Chief Justice rotates among the justices. The justice elect from among their members a chief justice and a vice chief justice to serve a two year term. There are no term limits or age restrictions on the position. The Senior Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court is the current serving justice with the longest tenure on the Court. As most of the day to day activities of the Court are based upon seniority of the justices, the position is the third highest ranking on the Court, behind the Chief Justice and the Vice Chief Justice. As the role of Chief Justice rotates among the justices, the Senior Justice represents the institutional memory of the Court.

There are currently six living retired justices of the Oklahoma Supreme Court: Daniel J. Boudreau, Steven W. Taylor, Joseph M. Watt, Patrick Wyrick, John Reif, and Tom Colbert. As retired justices, they no longer participate in the work of the Supreme Court. Name Date of appointment Date of retirement Appointed by Retired under Length of service Succeeded by Daniel J. Boudreau 1999 2004 Frank Keating Brad Henry 5 years Tom Colbert Steven W. Taylor 2004 2016 Brad Henry Mary Fallin 12 years Patrick Wyrick Joseph M. Watt 1992 2017 David Walters Mary Fallin 15 years Richard Darby Patrick Wyrick 2017 2019 Mary Fallin Kevin Stitt 2 years Dustin Rowe John Reif 2007 2019 Brad Henry Kevin Stitt 12 years M. John Kane IV Tom Colbert 2003 2021 Brad Henry Kevin Stitt 16 years Dana Kuehn

The court has nine seats for active justices, numbered in the order in which they were filled. Justices who retire have no role in the operations of court except as authorized by the court itself. That seat is filled by the next justices appointed by the governor.

In Prescott v. Oklahoma Capitol Preservation Commission, Oklahoma citizens challenged the placement of a Ten Commandments Monument on the grounds of the Oklahoma State Capitol under Article 2, Section 5 of the Oklahoma Constitution. The Court ruled, "We hold that the Ten Commandments Monument violates Article 2, Section 5 of the Oklahoma Constitution, is enjoined, and shall be removed". The 7–2 ruling overturns a decision by a district court judge who determined the monument could stay. It prompted calls by a handful of Republican lawmakers for impeachment of the justices who said the monument must be removed. Since the original monument was erected in 2012, several other groups have asked to put up their own monuments on the Capitol grounds. Among them is a group that wants to erect a 7 foot tall statue that depicts Satan as Baphomet, a goat headed figure with horns, wings and a long beard. A Hindu leader in Nevada, an animal rights group, and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster also have made requests.