{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-20-20-122","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 20, § 20-122","heading":"Number of special judges in each judicial administrative","body":"district – Appointments - Vacancies.\n\nThe number of special judges that may be appointed in each\n\njudicial administrative district shall be determined as follows:\n\n1. A special judge shall be appointed on the basis of one\n\nspecial judge for each county within the administrative district\n\nwith a population of at least twenty-four thousand (24,000), as\n\ndetermined by the 1960 Federal Decennial Census. An additional\n\nspecial judge shall be appointed for each additional fifty thousand\n\n(50,000) in population in a county within the administrative\n\ndistrict, as determined by the 1960 Federal Decennial Census. Such\n\nappointment may be made from any county in the administrative\n\ndistrict. Such appointments shall be made by the district judges in\n\ntheir respective judicial administrative districts. Any judge of a\n\nspecial sessions court shall be one of the special judges for the\n\nbalance of his or her term and shall be within the number prescribed\n\nfor such district.\n\n2. In addition to the special judges that may be appointed\n\npursuant to the provisions of paragraph 1 of this section, there\n\nshall be:\n\na. one (1) special judge appointed in the Northwest-\n\nPanhandle Judicial Administrative District comprised\n\nof District Court Judicial Districts Numbers One (1),\n\nTwo (2) and Four (4), to serve in Custer County,\n\nb. beginning July 1, 2025, three (3) special judges\n\nappointed in the Oklahoma-Canadian Counties Judicial\n\nAdministrative District comprised of District Court\n\nJudicial District Number Seven (7),\n\nc. beginning July 1, 2024, five (5) special judges\n\nappointed in the Tulsa-Pawnee Counties Judicial\n\nAdministrative District comprised of District Court\n\nJudicial District Number Fourteen (14),\n\nd. beginning January 11, 1999, one (1) special judge\n\nappointed in the Northeastern Judicial Administrative\n\nDistrict comprised of District Court Judicial\n\nDistricts Numbers Ten (10), Eleven (11), Twelve (12)\n\nand Thirteen (13), to serve in Rogers County,\n\ne. one (1) special judge appointed in the North-Central\n\nJudicial Administrative District comprised of District\n\nCourt Judicial District Numbers Eight (8), Nine (9)\n\nand Twenty-three (23), to serve in Lincoln and\n\nPottawatomie Counties,\n\nf. beginning January 1, 2006, one (1) special judge\n\nappointed in the East-Central Judicial Administrative\n\nDistrict comprised of District Court Judicial District\n\nNumbers Fifteen (15), Eighteen (18) and Twenty-four\n\n(24), to serve in Pittsburg and McIntosh Counties,\n\ng. beginning January 1, 2006, one (1) special judge\n\nappointed in the Northeastern Judicial Administrative\n\nDistrict comprised of District Court Judicial District\n\nNumbers Ten (10), Eleven (11), Twelve (12) and\n\nThirteen (13), to serve in Washington County, and\n\nh. beginning January 1, 2007, one (1) special judge\n\nappointed in the Southeastern Judicial Administrative\n\nDistrict comprised of District Court Judicial District\n\nNumbers Sixteen (16), Seventeen (17), Nineteen (19),\n\nand Twenty-five (25), to serve in Le Flore County.\n\n3. If a vacancy occurs in the office of associate district\n\njudge, or if an associate district judge becomes unable to perform\n\nthe duties of his or her office, as determined by the presiding\n\njudge of the judicial administrative district, a special judge may\n\nbe appointed within the judicial administrative district to hold\n\noffice for the duration of such vacancy or incapacity. After the\n\nvacancy is filled, or after the associate district judge becomes\n\nable to perform the duties of his or her office, the special judge\n\nshall have the power to act in regard to any case which he or she\n\nhas already tried, but the presiding judge of the judicial\n\nadministrative district may transfer such a case to any other judge\n\nin the judicial administrative district.\n\n4. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court may authorize the\n\nappointment of such additional special judges as may be necessary\ns or her office, the special judge\n\nshall have the power to act in regard to any case which he or she\n\nhas already tried, but the presiding judge of the judicial\n\nadministrative district may transfer such a case to any other judge\n\nin the judicial administrative district.\n\n4. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court may authorize the\n\nappointment of such additional special judges as may be necessary\n\nfor the proper administration of justice. Such additional special\n\njudges shall be appointed after application by a majority of the\n\ndistrict judges of a judicial administrative district, stating the\n\nreason why an additional special judge is needed. Such additional\n\njudges need not be based upon population figures.","path":["OK Code","Title 20"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os20.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"c736d9a96409ac27fa26fec43ea43efeaec5a86098ed36c37022acb098ac48ab","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-20-20-1219","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-20-20-1220"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}