11-054-11-055 Report ocr 1 |
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INTERIM STUDY REPORT Redistricting Committee Rep. Dale DeWitt, Chairman Oklahoma House of Representatives Interim Study 11-054 & 11-055, Rep. Dale DeWitt October 13, 2011 Judicial Redistricting – Statewide Courts Judicial Redistricting – District Courts Chief Justice Steven W. Taylor Oklahoma Supreme Court Chief Justice Taylor gave extensive comments on the general topic of judicial redistricting. His key points included: • The principle of “one person, one vote” does not apply to judicial redistricting because judges do not have constituencies in the same manner as the Legislature. o Judges decide cases based on the rule of law, not a political or geographic constituency. o Statewide judges do not campaign for office: they do not raise money, give speeches, or campaign for the position. o Also, population is not paramount in this issue: caseload and geography are significant factors for consideration. • The judiciary actually “redistricts” itself every day through the management of the courts. o Judges can be moved around the state – and outside the district they are elected from – in an effort to ease the caseload of other judges. o This happens every day in Oklahoma. • If the Oklahoma Legislature moves forward with judicial redistricting, the courts would like to provide information and be included in the process. Thad Balkman Oklahoma Lawyers Association tbalkman@oklawyers.org Mr. Balkman presented what Oklahoma statute says about judicial redistricting. He noted that while there is little procedural guidance in statute, there are some relevant sections. See Presentation A John Morris Williams Executive Director, Oklahoma Bar Association JohnW@okbar.org Mr. Williams stated that the judicial system seems to be working well. The concept of judges serving the entire state makes a difference, allowing the courts to deal with their caseloads. He added that the Oklahoma Bar Association would like to assist the House should it move forward with judicial redistricting.
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Title | 11-054-11-055 Report ocr 1 |
Full text | INTERIM STUDY REPORT Redistricting Committee Rep. Dale DeWitt, Chairman Oklahoma House of Representatives Interim Study 11-054 & 11-055, Rep. Dale DeWitt October 13, 2011 Judicial Redistricting – Statewide Courts Judicial Redistricting – District Courts Chief Justice Steven W. Taylor Oklahoma Supreme Court Chief Justice Taylor gave extensive comments on the general topic of judicial redistricting. His key points included: • The principle of “one person, one vote” does not apply to judicial redistricting because judges do not have constituencies in the same manner as the Legislature. o Judges decide cases based on the rule of law, not a political or geographic constituency. o Statewide judges do not campaign for office: they do not raise money, give speeches, or campaign for the position. o Also, population is not paramount in this issue: caseload and geography are significant factors for consideration. • The judiciary actually “redistricts” itself every day through the management of the courts. o Judges can be moved around the state – and outside the district they are elected from – in an effort to ease the caseload of other judges. o This happens every day in Oklahoma. • If the Oklahoma Legislature moves forward with judicial redistricting, the courts would like to provide information and be included in the process. Thad Balkman Oklahoma Lawyers Association tbalkman@oklawyers.org Mr. Balkman presented what Oklahoma statute says about judicial redistricting. He noted that while there is little procedural guidance in statute, there are some relevant sections. See Presentation A John Morris Williams Executive Director, Oklahoma Bar Association JohnW@okbar.org Mr. Williams stated that the judicial system seems to be working well. The concept of judges serving the entire state makes a difference, allowing the courts to deal with their caseloads. He added that the Oklahoma Bar Association would like to assist the House should it move forward with judicial redistricting. |
Date created | 2012-03-14 |
Date modified | 2012-03-14 |