Become part of the movement for unbiased, accessible election information. Donate today.
Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals elections
There are two high courts in Oklahoma. For election results for the supreme court, see: Oklahoma Supreme Court elections.
There are five justices on the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. For more information about these elections, visit the Oklahoma judicial elections page.
Judicial selection
- See also: Judicial selection in Oklahoma
The five judges of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal 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.[1][2]
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.[1][3]
Qualifications
To serve on the court, a judge must be:
- at least 30 years old;
- a qualified voter in his or her respective district for at least one year; and
- licensed to practice for at least five years (or have five years of service as a judge of a court of record).[1]
Presiding judge
The presiding judge of the court is selected by peer vote, serving in that capacity for two years.[1]
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.[4] 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.[1][3]
Elections
2024
- See also: Oklahoma Supreme Court elections, 2024
David B. Lewis' seat
Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals District 5
David B. Lewis was retained to District 5 of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 59.1% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
59.1
|
824,173 | ||
No |
40.9
|
570,169 | |||
Total Votes |
1,394,342 | ||||
|
|
Scott Rowland's seat
Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals District 4
Scott Rowland was retained to District 4 of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 63.7% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
63.7
|
889,180 | ||
No |
36.3
|
506,530 | |||
Total Votes |
1,395,710 | ||||
|
|
William J. Musseman's seat
Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals District 1
William J. Musseman was retained to District 1 of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 64.3% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
64.3
|
901,331 | ||
No |
35.7
|
500,528 | |||
Total Votes |
1,401,859 | ||||
|
|
2020
- See also: Oklahoma Supreme Court elections, 2020
Hudson's seat
General election candidates
- Rob Hudson (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔
Lumpkin's seat
General election candidates
- Gary Lumpkin (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔
2018
Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals 2018 Retention election | |
|
|
| Office | Candidates |
| District 1 |
 Dana Kuehn (i) |
| District 4 |
Scott Rowland (i) |
| District 5 |
David B. Lewis (i) |
2016
Judges who faced retention
■ Carlene Clancy Smith
■ Rob Hudson
Election results
November 8 general election
Rob Hudson was retained in the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals District 2 election with 61.31% of the vote.
| Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals District 2, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes votes | |
| Rob Hudson | 61.31% | |
| Source: Oklahoma State Election Board Official Results | ||
Carlene Clancy Smith was retained in the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals District 1 election with 59.94% of the vote.
| Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals District 1, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes votes | |
| Carlene Clancy Smith | 59.94% | |
| Source: Oklahoma State Election Board Official Results | ||
2014
Retention
| Judge | Election Vote |
|---|---|
| Gary Lumpkin | 62.4%  |
2012
| Candidate | Incumbency | Party | Division | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlene Clancy Smith | Yes | |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Oklahoma," accessed September 22, 2021
- ↑ Oklahoma State Courts Network, "Oklahoma Judicial Nominating Commission," accessed September 22, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Justia, "Section VII-B-5," accessed September 22, 2021
- ↑ Oklahoma Public Research System, "Section VII-B-4: Vacancy in Judicial Office - Filling," accessed September 22, 2021
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
