Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals

Judges of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals

The Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals is an intermediate appellate court in the state of Oklahoma, with the Oklahoma Supreme Court as the final court of recourse for civil matters. The Court of Civil Appeals consists of 12 judges in four divisions. The Supreme Court may choose to release the lesser court's opinions for publication, which grants these cases precedent value.

Jurisdiction

The Court of Civil Appeals is responsible for the majority of appellate decisions. These opinions may be released for publication either by the Court of Civil Appeals or by the Supreme Court. When the opinions are released for publication by the Supreme Court, they have precedential value. The Court of Civil Appeals is made up of four divisions, each composed of three Judges. Two divisions of the Court of Civil Appeals are located in Oklahoma City, and two are housed in Tulsa. Two of the three judges may choose to reaffirm, modify or overturn any ruling of any lower court. However, if the Oklahoma Supreme Court disapproves of the court's ruling, it may review the decision and change it as the court deems necessary. Cases are assigned to the Court of Civil Appeals from the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

• Published opinions of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals can be found here.

 

Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals
Court information
Judges:	12
Founded:	1968
Salary:	Associates: $164,339
Judicial selection
Method:	Assisted appointment
Term:	6 years

Judges

Judge	Tenure	Appointed By
Stacie Hixon	March 10, 2020 - Present	Kevin Stitt
Jane Wiseman	2005 - Present	Brad Henry
Deborah Barnes	July 9, 2008 - Present	Brad Henry
Jim Huber	2023 - Present	Kevin Stitt
Gregory Blackwell	August 9, 2021 - Present	Kevin Stitt
John Fischer	2006 - Present	Brad Henry
Barbara G. Swinton	September 14, 2016 - Present	Mary Fallin
Timothy Downing	June 14, 2022 - Present	Kevin Stitt
Thomas E. Prince	January 12, 2021 - Present	Kevin Stitt
Robert D. Bell	2005 - Present	Brad Henry
Bay Mitchell	2002 - Present	Frank Keating
Brian Goree	2012 - Present	Mary Fallin

Judicial selection

See also: Judicial selection in Oklahoma

The twelve judges of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals are selected through the assisted appointment method. Each judge is appointed by the governor from a list of three names compiled by the Oklahoma Judicial Nominating Commission.

The appointed judge serves an initial term of at least one year, after which they must stand for retention during the next general election. Subsequent terms last six years.

Qualifications

To serve on this court, a judge must be:

• a qualified voter in his or her district for at least one year;
• licensed to practice for at least four years (or have four years of service as a judge of a court of record).

Presiding judge

The presiding judge of the court is selected by peer vote, serving in that capacity for one year.

Vacancies

If a judge retires before the end of his or her term, the vacancy is filled just as it normally would be, with the governor appointing a successor from a list of names provided by the nominating commission. If the appointment is not made within 60 days of the vacancy, the chief justice is responsible for selecting a replacement. The appointed judge then must stand for retention in the next general election after he or she has served one year on the bench to serve out the remainder of his or her predecessor's term.

Salary

In 2024, the associate judges of the court received a salary of $164,339, according to the National Center for State Courts.

Elections

2024

See also: Oklahoma intermediate appellate court elections, 2024

The terms of six Oklahoma intermediate appellate court judges expired on January 13, 2025. The six seats were up for retention election on November 5, 2024. The filing deadline was September 6, 2024.

Candidates and results

District 2 Office 2

Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 2 Office 2

Jim Huber was retained to District 2 Office 2 of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 64.5% of the vote.

			Retention  Vote	%	Votes
		✔	Yes	64.5	897,568
			No	35.5	493,256
			Total Votes		1,390,824

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It has been certified. Source

District 4 Office 2

Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 4 Office 2

Timothy Downing was retained to District 4 Office 2 of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 65.0% of the vote.

			Retention  Vote	%	Votes
		✔	Yes	65.0	901,963
			No	35.0	485,896
			Total Votes		1,387,859

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It has been certified. Source

District 5 Office 1

Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 5 Office 1

Thomas E. Prince was retained to District 5 Office 1 of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 64.6% of the vote.

			Retention  Vote	%	Votes
		✔	Yes	64.6	895,718
			No	35.4	491,636
			Total Votes		1,387,354

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It has been certified. Source

District 5 Office 2

Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 5 Office 2

Robert D. Bell was retained to District 5 Office 2 of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 58.7% of the vote.

			Retention  Vote	%	Votes
		✔	Yes	58.7	803,735
			No	41.3	564,408
			Total Votes		1,368,143

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It has been certified. Source

District 6 Office 1

Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 6 Office 1

Bay Mitchell was retained to District 6 Office 1 of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 61.5% of the vote.

			Retention  Vote	%	Votes
		✔	Yes	61.5	818,928
			No	38.5	511,620
			Total Votes		1,330,548

---

It has been certified. Source

District 6 Office 2

Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 6 Office 2

Brian Goree was retained to District 6 Office 2 of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 59.3% of the vote.

			Retention  Vote	%	Votes
		✔	Yes	59.3	788,523
			No	40.7	541,363
			Total Votes		1,329,886

---

It has been certified. Source

2022

See also: Oklahoma intermediate appellate court elections, 2022

Candidates and election results

District 1 Office 1

Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 1 Office 1

Stacie Hixon was retained to District 1 Office 1 of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals on November 8, 2022 with 67.3% of the vote.

			Retention  Vote	%	Votes
		✔	Yes	67.3	688,258
			No	32.7	333,863
			Total Votes		1,022,121

---

It has been certified. Source

District 3 Office 1

Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 3 Office 1

Gregory Blackwell was retained to District 3 Office 1 of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals on November 8, 2022 with 65.1% of the vote.

			Retention  Vote	%	Votes
		✔	Yes	65.1	662,686
			No	34.9	355,364
			Total Votes		1,018,050

---

It has been certified. Source

District 3 Office 2

Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 3 Office 2

John Fischer was retained to District 3 Office 2 of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals on November 8, 2022 with 61.8% of the vote.

			Retention  Vote	%	Votes
		✔	Yes	61.8	629,552
			No	38.2	388,420
			Total Votes		1,017,972

---

It has been certified. Source

District 4 Office 1

Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 4 Office 1

Barbara G. Swinton was retained to District 4 Office 1 of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals on November 8, 2022 with 64.3% of the vote.

			Retention  Vote	%	Votes
		✔	Yes	64.3	655,328
			No	35.7	363,400
			Total Votes		1,018,728

---

It has been certified. Source

District 5 Office 1

Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 5 Office 1

Thomas E. Prince was retained to District 5 Office 1 of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals on November 8, 2022 with 65.0% of the vote.

			Retention  Vote	%	Votes
		✔	Yes	65.0	659,375
			No	35.0	354,706
			Total Votes		1,014,081

---

It has been certified. Source

2020

See also: Oklahoma intermediate appellate court elections, 2020

Candidates and results

District 1 Office 2

General election candidates

• Jane Wiseman  (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

District 2 Office 1

General election candidates

• Deborah Barnes  (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

District 2 Office 2

General election candidates

• Keith Rapp  (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

2018

See also: Oklahoma intermediate appellate court elections, 2018

Candidates and results

District 4 Office 1

Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 4 Office 1

Barbara G. Swinton was retained to District 4 Office 1 of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals on November 6, 2018 with 64.5% of the vote.

			Retention  Vote	%	Votes
		✔	Yes	64.5	656,405
			No	35.5	361,775
			Total Votes		1,018,180

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It has been certified. Source

District 5 Office 1

Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 5 Office 1

Kenneth Buettner was retained to District 5 Office 1 of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals on November 6, 2018 with 62.5% of the vote.

			Retention  Vote	%	Votes
		✔	Yes	62.5	633,856
			No	37.5	380,319
			Total Votes		1,014,175

---

It has been certified. Source

District 5 Office 2

Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 5 Office 2

Robert D. Bell was retained to District 5 Office 2 of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals on November 6, 2018 with 61.6% of the vote.

			Retention  Vote	%	Votes
		✔	Yes	61.6	624,321
			No	38.4	389,783
			Total Votes		1,014,104

---

It has been certified. Source

District 6 Office 1

Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 6 Office 1

Bay Mitchell was retained to District 6 Office 1 of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals on November 6, 2018 with 62.1% of the vote.

			Retention  Vote	%	Votes
		✔	Yes	62.1	629,911
			No	37.9	384,029
			Total Votes		1,013,940

---

It has been certified. Source

District 6 Office 2

Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 6 Office 2

Brian Goree was retained to District 6 Office 2 of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals on November 6, 2018 with 60.9% of the vote.

			Retention  Vote	%	Votes
		✔	Yes	60.9	613,912
			No	39.1	393,671
			Total Votes		1,007,583

---

It has been certified. Source

2016

Judges who faced retention

■ John Fischerv
■ Larry Joplin
■ P. Thomas Thornbrugh

Election results

November 8 general election

John Fischer (Oklahoma) was retained in the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 3 Office 2 election with 60.42% of the vote.

Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 3 Office 2, 2016
Name	Yes votes
John Fischer (Oklahoma)	60.42%
Source: Oklahoma State Election Board Official Results

Larry Joplin was retained in the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 4 Office 2 election with 60.68% of the vote.

Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 4 Office 2, 2016
Name	Yes votes
Larry Joplin	60.68%
Source: Oklahoma State Election Board Official Results

P. Thomas Thornbrugh was retained in the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 3 Office 1 election with 61.04% of the vote.

Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals District 3 Office 1, 2016
Name	Yes votes
P. Thomas Thornbrugh	61.04%
Source: Oklahoma State Election Board Official Results

2014

Retention

Judge	Election Vote
GoreeBrian Goree	61.0% A
BarnesDeborah Barnes (Oklahoma)	62.0% A
WisemanJane Wiseman	60.9% A
GoodmanJerry Goodman	60.9% A
RappKeith Rapp	59.3% A

2012

Candidate	Incumbency	Party	Division	Primary Vote	Election Vote
MitchellBay Mitchell   A	Yes				A
BuettnerKenneth Buettner   A	Yes				A
ThornbrughP. Thomas Thornbrugh   A	Yes				A
BellRobert D. Bell   A	Yes				A
HetheringtonWilliam Hetherington   A	Yes				A

Ethics

The Oklahoma Code of Judicial Conduct sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates in Oklahoma. It is composed of four canons:

• Canon 1: "A judge shall uphold and promote the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary, and shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety."
• Canon 2: "A Judge Shall Perform the Duties of Judicial Office Impartially, Competently, and Diligently."
• Canon 3: "A Judge Shall Conduct the Judge's Personal and Extrajudicial Activities to Minimize the Risk of Conflict with the Obligations of Judicial Office."
• Canon 4: "A Judge or Candidate for Judicial Office Shall Not Engage in Political or Campaign Activity That Is Inconsistent with the Independence, Integrity, or Impartiality of the Judiciary."

The full text of the Oklahoma Code of Judicial Conduct can be found here.

Removal of judges

Judges in Oklahoma may be removed in one of two ways:

• By the council on judicial complaints, which receives and investigates allegations of judicial misconduct and, when appropriate, can recommend the removal of a judge from office to the court on the judiciary.
• Impeachment by the house of representatives, plus conviction by two-thirds of the senate.

History

The state created the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals in 1968 because the Oklahoma Supreme Court had neither the time nor resources to hear all cases brought before it. When a case is brought before it, the Supreme Court may choose to send the case to one of the four divisions of the Court of Civil Appeals, two located in Tulsa and two in Oklahoma City. Each division of the court has three judges who are appointed for life but are required to stand for election every six years to retain their positions.

State profile

Demographic data for Oklahoma
	Oklahoma	U.S.
Total population:	3,907,414	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	68,595	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	73.1%	73.6%
Black/African American:	7.2%	12.6%
Asian:	1.9%	5.1%
Native American:	7.3%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0.1%	0.2%
Two or more:	7.8%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	9.6%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	86.9%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	24.1%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$46,879	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	19.7%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Oklahoma. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Oklahoma

Oklahoma voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

More Oklahoma coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in Oklahoma
• United States congressional delegations from Oklahoma
• Public policy in Oklahoma
• Endorsers in Oklahoma
• Oklahoma fact checks
• More...

See also

Oklahoma	Judicial Selection	More Courts
Courts in Oklahoma Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals Oklahoma Supreme Court	Elections: 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 Gubernatorial appointments Judicial selection in Oklahoma	Federal courts State courts Local courts

External links

• The Oklahoma State Courts Network, "Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals Cases"

Footnotes

Oklahoma courts

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Federal courts:

Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Oklahoma, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Oklahoma, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma

State courts:

Oklahoma Supreme Court • Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals • Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals • Oklahoma District Courts • Oklahoma Workers' Compensation Court of Existing Claims

State resources:

Courts in Oklahoma • Oklahoma judicial elections • Judicial selection in Oklahoma