Oklahoma
Supreme Court
Oklahoma’s highest court for civil matters is the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The court has seven justices, one chief justice, and one vice-chief justice. The court selects a chief justice and a vice chief justice every two years. (Source: Oklahoma Supreme Court)
Judicial Selection
The governor appoints Oklahoma Supreme Court justices from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. After at least one year on the court, a justice may stand for a six-year term in an unopposed yes/no retention vote at the time of Oklahoma’s next general election. Justices may stand for additional terms in the same retention process. To fill an interim vacancy, the governor appoints a candidate from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. There are no term limits, nor is there a mandatory retirement age.
Court of Criminal Appeals
Oklahoma’s highest court for criminal matters is the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. The court has three judges, one presiding judge, and one vice-presiding judge. The presiding judge is selected for a two-year term by members of the court. (Source: Justia)
Judicial Selection
The governor appoints Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals judges from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. After at least one year on the court, a judge may stand for a six-year term in an unopposed yes/no retention vote at the time of Oklahoma’s next general election. Judges may stand for additional six-year terms in the same retention process. When a seat on the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals becomes open in the middle of a judge’s term, the governor appoints a candidate from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. There are no term limits, nor is there a mandatory retirement age.
State Constitution
Oklahoma’s first and only state constitution was adopted in 1907. As of January 1, 2024, it had 200 amendments. (Source: John Dinan, 2024)
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The Role of History and Tradition in State Court Abortion Cases
Some state courts weighed historical evidence and found abortion rights protections, diverging from the U.S. Supreme Court’s approach in Dobbs.
State Court Oral Arguments to Watch for in November
Issues on the dockets include indigent defense crises in multiple states, what’s been called a “de facto repeal” of citizens’ initiative power, and a voter-approved ban on large-capacity magazines.
States, Not the President, Run Elections in America
The administration’s attempts to undermine or interfere with elections run afoul of constitutional delegations of responsibility.
States Grapple with the Death Penalty
More people have been executed in 2025 than in any year of the past decade. But some states are strengthening protections against the death penalty.
The Extra Hurdle in State Courts to Prove a Statute Violates the U.S. Constitution
Many states require a litigant challenging a statute as violating the U.S. Constitution to prove the statute is unconstitutional “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Book Excerpt: Impermissible Punishments: How Prison Became a Problem for Democracy
The U.S. prison system violates democratic social orders aiming to lessen racist and class hierarchies. Its development was not inevitable.
Book Excerpt: Sedition: How America's Constitutional Order Emerged from Violent Crisis
Throughout history, state constitutional drafting has involved failure and violent crisis and has sometimes torn us apart rather than brought us together.
How Will Federal Funding Cuts Impact State Budgets?
Fiscal provisions found in every state constitution constrain states’ ability to work around budget shortfalls.