Oklahoma Court Of Criminal Appeals Judge Retires

The presiding judge of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals is retiring from the seat she's held for nearly seven years.

Judge Clancy Smith, who is from Hugo and served as a district judge and special district judge in Tulsa County, stepped down from the five-member court on Thursday.

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She was appointed to the court in 2010 by then Oklahoma Supreme Court Chief Justice James Edmondson after then Governor Brad Henry recused from the process because of a potential conflict of interest involving one of the applicants.

Smith filled an unexpired term on the bench and was retained for a six-year term in 2012 with 66 percent of the vote.

The appeals court is the highest court in the state with exclusive appellate jurisdiction in criminal cases.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.