Thad Balkman
Thad Balkman is a judge of the Oklahoma Judicial District 21. He assumed office in 2013. His term ended in 2023.
Balkman won re-election for judge of the Oklahoma Judicial District 21 outright after the general election on November 6, 2018, was canceled.
Elections
2018
See also: Municipal elections in Cleveland County, Oklahoma (2018)
General election
The general election was canceled. Thad Balkman (Nonpartisan) won without appearing on the ballot.
2014
- See also: Oklahoma judicial elections, 2014
Balkman ran for re-election to the 21st District Court. As an unopposed candidate, he was automatically re-elected without appearing on the ballot.[2]
Education
Balkman earned a B.A. in political science from Brigham Young University in 1994, and a J.D. from Oklahoma University School of Law in 1998.[3]
Career
- 2013-present: Judge, District 21 Court
- 2009-2013: Consultant & lobbyist, Oklahoma Lawyers Association
- 2007-2009: General counsel & VP External Relations, Phoenix Motorcars
- 2007-2008: Executive Director, Oklahoma 100 Ideas Initiative
- 2007-2008: Oklahoma Political Director, Mitt Romney for President
- 2005-2007: Attorney, Thad H. Balkman Law Office
- 2004-2006: Attorney, Carr & Carr
- 2002-2004: Attorney, Lee, Wells & Balkman
- 2001-2002: General counsel, Association of Professional Oklahoma Educators
- 2000-2006: Oklahoma State Representative
- 1998-2001: Associate attorney, Stanley M. Ward Law Office[4][5]
Campaign themes
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
- See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
Thad Balkman participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on February 28, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Thad Balkman's responses follow below.[6]
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
| “ | 1) Uphold the Constitution 2) Provide justice for all |
” |
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?
| “ | Separation of powers, due process and innovation in the delivery of government services.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[8]
|
” |
Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. Thad Balkman answered the following:
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
| “ | Atticus Finch and Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch[8] | ” |
| “ | To Kill a Mockingbird[8] | ” |
Approach to the law
Balkman was quoted in The Moore American:
| “ | I’m hopeful as I grow in this position, that I will be in the position to help people who have made some bad choices and help them through the course of the law where they can become productive citizens again. That doesn’t always mean that you are going to go easy on them or be tough on them, that’s the challenge I face as a judge, what is the best course of action for this person.[9][8] | ” |
Awards and associations
- President, Oklahoma Judicial Conference (2018)
- President, Oklahoma Judges Association (2018)
- Member, Oklahoma Supreme Court Committee for Uniform Civil Jury Instructions
- Member, Executive Committee and Legislative Committee, Oklahoma Judicial Conference
- Member, Executive Committee, Oklahoma Judges Association[10][11]
Noteworthy cases
Judge rules Johnson & Johnson must pay fine for promoting opioids in Oklahoma
On August 26, 2019, Judge Thad Balkman ruled against Johnson & Johnson and its pharmaceutical division Janssen in a lawsuit the State of Oklahoma brought against the company. The judge ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $572 million in fines, which would cover one year of the state's plan to help those affected by opioid addiction.[12]
In his ruling, Balkman stated, “[T]he state met its burden that the defendants Janssen and Johnson & Johnson’s misleading marketing and promotion of opioids created a nuisance as defined by [the law] (...) Specifically, defendants caused an opioid crisis that’s evidenced by increased rates of addiction, overdose deaths and neonatal abstinence syndrome.”[12][13]
Johnson & Johnson planned to appeal the judge's decision. “Janssen did not cause the opioid crisis in Oklahoma, and neither the facts nor the law support this outcome,” said Johnson & Johnson general counsel Michael Ullmann. “We recognize the opioid crisis is a tremendously complex public health issue and we have deep sympathy for everyone affected. We are working with partners to find ways to help those in need.”[12]
See also
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- The Norman Transcript, "Judge settling into job," November 10, 2013 (dead link)
- The Oklahoma State Courts Network, "Cleveland County, State of Oklahoma," accessed November 7, 2013
- News OK, "Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin appoints new judge for Cleveland County," October 5, 2013
Footnotes
- ↑ The Moore American, "Judge takes oath," November 5, 2013 (dead link)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Oklahoma State Election Board, "Candidates for State Elective Office 2014"
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Thad Balkman profile," accessed November 7, 2013
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, Thad Balkman's Biography," accessed November 7, 2013
- ↑ Thad Balkman, LLC, "Bio & Resume, resume link," accessed November 7, 2013 (dead link)
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Thad Balkman's responses," February 28, 2018
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ The Moore American, "Judge Thad Balkman settling into new job," November 13, 2013 (dead link)
- ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email with Judge Balkman," August 15, 2014
- ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email with Judge Balkman," February 26, 2019]
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 CNBC, "Judge rules against Johnson & Johnson in landmark opioid case in Oklahoma," August 26, 2019
- ↑ CBS News, "Judge orders Johnson & Johnson to pay Oklahoma $572 million for fueling state's opioid crisis," August 27, 2019
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
