Judicial redistricting - statewide courts. Judicial redistricting - district courts.

              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.