Oklahoma § 20-122 - Number of special judges in each judicial administrative

§ 20-122. Number of special judges in each judicial administrative

district – Appointments - Vacancies.

The number of special judges that may be appointed in each

judicial administrative district shall be determined as follows:

1. A special judge shall be appointed on the basis of one

special judge for each county within the administrative district

with a population of at least twenty-four thousand (24,000), as

determined by the 1960 Federal Decennial Census. An additional

special judge shall be appointed for each additional fifty thousand

(50,000) in population in a county within the administrative

district, as determined by the 1960 Federal Decennial Census. Such

appointment may be made from any county in the administrative

district. Such appointments shall be made by the district judges in

their respective judicial administrative districts. Any judge of a

special sessions court shall be one of the special judges for the

balance of his or her term and shall be within the number prescribed

for such district.

2. In addition to the special judges that may be appointed

pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 1 of this section, there

shall be:

a.

one (1) special judge appointed in the NorthwestPanhandle Judicial Administrative District comprised

of District Court Judicial Districts Numbers One (1),

Two (2) and Four (4), to serve in Custer County,

b.

beginning July 1, 2025, three (3) special judges

appointed in the Oklahoma-Canadian Counties Judicial

Administrative District comprised of District Court

Judicial District Number Seven (7),

c.

beginning July 1, 2024, five (5) special judges

appointed in the Tulsa-Pawnee Counties Judicial

Administrative District comprised of District Court

Judicial District Number Fourteen (14),

d.

beginning January 11, 1999, one (1) special judge

appointed in the Northeastern Judicial Administrative

District comprised of District Court Judicial

Districts Numbers Ten (10), Eleven (11), Twelve (12)

and Thirteen (13), to serve in Rogers County,

e.

one (1) special judge appointed in the North-Central

Judicial Administrative District comprised of District

Court Judicial District Numbers Eight (8), Nine (9)

and Twenty-three (23), to serve in Lincoln and

Pottawatomie Counties,

f.

beginning January 1, 2006, one (1) special judge

appointed in the East-Central Judicial Administrative

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 20. Courts

District comprised of District Court Judicial District

Numbers Fifteen (15), Eighteen (18) and Twenty-four

(24), to serve in Pittsburg and McIntosh Counties,

g.

beginning January 1, 2006, one (1) special judge

appointed in the Northeastern Judicial Administrative

District comprised of District Court Judicial District

Numbers Ten (10), Eleven (11), Twelve (12) and

Thirteen (13), to serve in Washington County, and

h.

beginning January 1, 2007, one (1) special judge

appointed in the Southeastern Judicial Administrative

District comprised of District Court Judicial District

Numbers Sixteen (16), Seventeen (17), Nineteen (19),

and Twenty-five (25), to serve in Le Flore County.

3. If a vacancy occurs in the office of associate district

judge, or if an associate district judge becomes unable to perform

the duties of his or her office, as determined by the presiding

judge of the judicial administrative district, a special judge may

be appointed within the judicial administrative district to hold

office for the duration of such vacancy or incapacity. After the

vacancy is filled, or after the associate district judge becomes

able to perform the duties of his or her office, the special judge

shall have the power to act in regard to any case which he or she

has already tried, but the presiding judge of the judicial

administrative district may transfer such a case to any other judge

in the judicial administrative district.

4. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court may authorize the

appointment of such additional special judges as may be necessary

for the proper administration of justice. Such additional special

judges shall be appointed after application by a majority of the

district judges of a judicial administrative district, stating the

reason why an additional special judge is needed. Such additional

judges need not be based upon population figures.

Added by Laws 1968, c. 350, § 1, eff. Jan. 13, 1969. Amended by

Laws 1970, c. 285, § 1, emerg. eff. April 27, 1970; Laws 1985, c.

320, § 4, emerg. eff. July 29, 1985; Laws 1992, c. 335, § 27, eff.

July 1, 1992; Laws 1998, c. 383, § 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1998; Laws 2005,

c. 343, § 8, eff. July 1, 2005; Laws 2006, 2nd Ex.Sess., c. 35, § 5;

Laws 2024, c. 430, § 1, eff. July 1, 2024; Laws 2025, c. 459, § 1,

eff. July 1, 2025.