Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Joseph Watt to Retire

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OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today received and accepted a letter from Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Joseph Watt stating his intention to retire at the end of this year.

Watt, justice for the 9th Supreme Court Judicial District, wrote that his retirement will take effect Dec. 31.

Watt, of Altus, began his judicial service in 1985, when he was appointed special district judge for Jackson County. He was elected associated district judge for Jackson County in 1986.

In 1991, then-Gov. David Walters named Watt as his general counsel. He was appointed by Walters to the Oklahoma Supreme Court on May 17, 1992, and is in his 26th year of service on the high court. He served two terms as chief justice, from 2003 until 2007.

“Having spent almost half of my entire life serving in the judicial branch of government, the past 25½ years on the Supreme Court have been the most rewarding of my entire life,” Watt said. “As the new year dawns, I look forward to beginning the next chapter in my life spending more quality time with my grandchildren, traveling with my wife, Cathy, and taking active retired status beginning Jan. 1, 2018.”

Supreme Court justices serve on the court as long as they are able and must appear on the ballot and be retained by voters every six years, according to state statute.

“Justice Watt has served the state well while being on the bench for more than 30 years, including the past 25 years as a Supreme Court justice,” said Fallin. “He’s been a man of integrity, and has served with distinction. I appreciate his knowledge, dedication and fairness while on the high court. I wish him the best in his retirement and want to thank his wife and family, too, for their sacrifice and service to our state.”

Watt earned a bachelor’s degree in history/government from Texas Tech University and a doctor of jurisprudence from the University of Texas Law School. In 1973, he moved to Altus, where he worked in private law practice and served as Altus city prosecutor until 1985.

The Judicial Nominating Commission will accept applications for nominees to the court. The commission reviews the applications and submits three nominees to the governor.

At the time of appointment, applicants must be 30 or older, have been a qualified elector in the 9th Supreme Court Judicial District for at least one year immediately prior to the date of appointment, and have been a licensed practicing attorney or judge of a court of record, or both, in Oklahoma for five years preceding the appointment. 

The 9th Judicial District consists of Harmon, Greer, Kiowa, Caddo, Canadian, Comanche, Jackson, Tillman and Cotton counties.

Governor Mary Fallin Names Patrick Wyrick to Fill Vacancy on Oklahoma Supreme Court

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OKLAHOMA CITY - Governor Mary Fallin today named Patrick Wyrick to serve as a justice on the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

Wyrick, 35, succeeds Steven Taylor, who retired from the bench last year.

Wyrick has served as solicitor general in the Oklahoma attorney general’s office since 2011. As solicitor general, Wyrick represented the state of Oklahoma before the U.S. and Oklahoma supreme courts, and other federal and state courts. He also authored attorney general opinions and served as a key legal adviser to a variety of state officials.

“Patrick Wyrick is well positioned to tackle the difficult constitutional questions the Oklahoma Supreme Court must confront,” said Fallin. “He has litigated several significant constitutional law cases involving almost every frequently litigated provision in our state constitution. I have confidence he will perform his new duties with integrity and professionalism.”

The Supreme Court appointment is Fallin’s first on the nine-member court.

Supreme Court justices serve on the court as long as they are able and must appear on the ballot and be retained by voters every six years, according to state statute.

Fallin selected Wyrick from three applicants submitted to her by the Oklahoma Judicial Nominating Commission. The governor must choose from those three.

Applicants had to be 30 or older and a practicing attorney or judge for at least five years.

Wyrick, a fourth-generation Atoka native, has deep ties in the 2nd Judicial District, and has remained involved in the family business, Wyrick Lumber Co., which has locations in Atoka and Hugo.

“It is the honor of a lifetime to represent my hometown district as a member of the Oklahoma Supreme Court,” Wyrick said. “I will continue to work hard and do my best to serve the people of this great state. I have committed myself to public service, and my years as Oklahoma solicitor general have offered me the opportunity to routinely litigate cases before the Supreme Court. I am uniquely familiar with the high court’s jurisprudence.”

Wyrick earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology/criminology from the University of Oklahoma and his juris doctorate from OU’s college of law.

Before joining the attorney general’s office, Wyrick worked as an associate attorney at the law firm of GableGotwals and as a law clerk to Judge James Payne in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Oklahoma in Muskogee.

Wyrick and his wife, Jamie, have three children, twins Cole and Carter, and Claire.

Sand Springs Board of Education authorizes litigation against State

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs Board of Education held their regular monthly meeting and used the opportunity to present a series of awards and recognitions, approve the hiring of new staff, and discuss district finances. 

Bob Anderson was awarded the Sandite Spirit Award and Coins of Excellence were presented to retiring Superintendent Lloyd Snow, retiring Chief Financial Operator Gary Watts, retiring Pratt Principal Jim Roberts, retiring Athletic Director Ed Garrett, retiring Encumbrance Clerk Sally Gramm, Board Clerk Kim Clenney, and District Artchitect Jeanie Kvach.

The Board approved the employment of six new employees for the upcoming school year. Clyde Boyd Middle School will be adding Rebekah Anderson as a Seventh Grade Writing Teacher. Charles Page High School will get five new employees: Kristen Anderson, Special Ed Teacher; Matthew Miller, World History Teacher; Kimberly Mutch, Advanced Math Teacher; Lindsay Ross, Counselor; Matt Solomon, Art Teacher. 

The school board unanimously approved a motion to authorize funding of no more than $5,000 for the purpose of joining ongoing litigation before the Oklahoma Supreme Court against the State Department of Education and the Oklahoma Tax Commission concerning past allocations of state aid payments. The lawsuit, which was filed in March, includes about fifty school districts seeking reparations for twenty-two years of misappropriation of commercial and agricultural property taxes. The defense maintains that despite their acknowledgement and correction of the error in 2014, they should not be made to collect reparations from the schools that benefited due to the unreliability of data predating 2004 due to the fact that all records used in the calculation of state aid are disposed of after twelve years. Furthermore, they cite a three-year statute of limitations on similar cases. The defense issued a response to the petitioners' claims on June 1st, pointing out "the dire budget situations already facing the schools that will be negatively impacted."

The district is already engaged in litigation against the Oklahoma Tax Commission for allegedly misappropriating funds associated with motor vehicle collections authorized by the passage of HB2244 by the 55th Legislature. The plaintiff is not seeking reparations from the school districts that benefited from the alleged error, but seeks for the state aid formula to be corrected going forward. The board initially went straight to the State Supreme Court in the hopes of enacting a decision before June 30th. The Supreme Court denied the petition in April, however, meaning the suit will have to go through the district courts first. The district claims a loss of more than $200,000 thus far and expects that amount to double by the time a decision is reached. 

The proposed budget for 2016-2017 was also unanimously approved during the board meeting. Revenue is expected to decline by $3,761,380 from the last fiscal year. Operating expenses have been slashed by $3,094,000, which Superintendent Snow says will result in fifty-one fewer employees across the school district.