Process To Fill Ousted Oklahoma Supreme Court Seat Underway

Oklahoma's Judicial Nominating Commission is accepting applications to fill the seat that will be left vacant following the Nov. 5 election.

Three justices — Edmondson, Gurich, and Kauger — faced a retention vote on the ballot.

Edmondson and Gurich narrowly retained their seats, while Kauger lost hers by an inversely slim margin.

According to the Judicial Nominating Commission, Kauger plans to retire early on Dec. 1.

The group is accepting applications until Dec. 20. Her tenure was not set to officially end until January.

"It's designed to be nonpartisan, and it's got a lot of stopgaps and a lot of things that prohibit it from being partisan, based on the members," News 9 Legal Analyst Irven Box said about the commission.

Among the requirements, applicants must live and be a voter in Judicial District 4, at least 30 years old, and have been an attorney for at least 5 years.

The 15-person commission, which includes six lawyers, will deliberate on the applications it receives and ultimately recommend three to Governor Stitt for a final appointment.

"These are secret behind-closed-doors meetings," said Box, reflecting on the consideration given to the applicants. "And the reasoning is that some of those questions are very sensitive, like asking people about their bankruptcy or their divorces or things of that nature."

Information about applications can be found on the commission's website.