Title: IN RE ADOPTION OF: RULES FOR THE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIAL ELECTIONS

State: oklahoma

Issuer: Oklahoma Supreme Court

Document:

IN RE ADOPTION OF: RULES FOR THE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIAL ELECTIONS2010 OK 91Case Number: SCBD-5703Decided: 12/13/2010THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA
NOTICE: THIS OPINION HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED FOR PUBLICATION IN 
THE PERMANENT LAW REPORTS. UNTIL RELEASED, IT IS SUBJECT TO REVISION OR 
WITHDRAWAL. 
 


IN RE ADOPTION OF: RULES FOR 
THE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIAL ELECTIONS
ORDER APPROVING ADOPTION OF RULES FOR THE COMMITTEE ON 
JUDICIAL ELECTIONS

This matter comes on before this Court upon an Application to adopt Rules for 
the Committee on Judicial Elections. This Court finds that it has jurisdiction 
over this matter and that an Order should enter as follows:
IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED by the Court that the 
Application of the Oklahoma Bar Association for adoption of the Rules for the 
Committee on Judicial Elections attached hereto as Appendix A is hereby granted. 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED by the Court that the Rules for 
the Committee on Judicial Elections shall be published two times in the 
Oklahoma Bar Journal, and on the Oklahoma Bar Association Web site within 
60 days of the execution of this Order.
DONE BY ORDER OF THE SUPREME COURT this 13th day of December, 2010.
/S/JAMES E. EDMONDSONCHIEF JUSTICE
EDMONDSON, C.J., TAYLOR, V.CJ., HARGRAVE, KAUGER, WATT, WINCHESTER, COLBERT, 
JJ.  Concur
REIF, J.  Not participating


IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA


IN RE ADOPTION OF:
)
 
RULES FOR THE COMMITTEE ON
)
S.C.B.D. No. 5703
JUDICIAL ELECTIONS
)
 
 
)
 

RULES FOR THE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIAL ELECTIONS
 
APPENDIX A


Proposed Rules for the Committeeon Judicial 
Elections


Index
Purpose of Rules 1
Rule 1. Organization 1
A. Organization 
.................................................................................................................1
B. 
Appointment..................................................................................................................1
C. 
Chairperson...................................................................................................................2
D. 
Confidentiality................................................................................................................3
Rule 2. Complaints 3
A. Complaint 
Form.............................................................................................................3
B. 
Filing............................................................................................................................3
C. 
Receipt.........................................................................................................................4
D. 
Panel............................................................................................................................4
E. Notice of a 
Complaint.....................................................................................................4
F. Notice of Panel 
Members................................................................................................5
G. Responsibility of Panel 
Chairperson.................................................................................5
Rule 3. Hearing 
Procedures...........................................................................................................................5
A. Notice of 
Hearing............................................................................................................5
B. 
Response......................................................................................................................5
C. Failure to 
Respond.........................................................................................................6
D. 
Hearing.........................................................................................................................6
E. Expedited 
Hearing.........................................................................................................7
F. 
Determination................................................................................................................7
G. Burden of Proof and Evidentiary 
Standard........................................................................7
H. Hearing Panel's 
Report..................................................................................................7
I. Waiver of Hearing 
Procedures..........................................................................................8
J. Cease and Desist 
Order.................................................................................................8
K. Finding of No 
Violation..................................................................................................9
L. Disclosure of Hearing Panel's 
Report............................................................................10
M. Change of Time 
Limits................................................................................................10
N. Decision to 
Appeal.....................................................................................................10
O. Stay of Action Pending 
Appeal....................................................................................11
P. Time for Filing Notice of Appeal and Position 
Papers.....................................................11
Rule 4. Appellate 
Procedure......................................................................................................................11
A. Appointment of Appellate 
Panel...................................................................................11
B. 
Notification................................................................................................................12
C. Appellee's Position 
Paper...........................................................................................12
D. Form of Position 
Papers.............................................................................................12
E. 
Administrator.............................................................................................................12
F. 
Counsel....................................................................................................................12
G. 
Hearing....................................................................................................................12
H. 
Decision...................................................................................................................13
 Rule 5. Actions and 
Sanctions...................................................................................................................14

A. Public 
Statement......................................................................................................14
B. Cease and Desist 
Order............................................................................................14
Rule 6. Referral for 
Discipline..................................................................................................................14
Definitions................................................................................................................................................15
 
 PROPOSED RULES FOR THE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIAL 
ELECTIONS
In order to maintain the independence, integrity and impartiality of the 
judiciary in the State of Oklahoma, the Supreme Court has adopted the Code of 
Judicial Conduct which governs the conduct of candidates for judicial office 
under its exclusive supervisory and administrative power over the inferior 
courts, as provided under Article VII of the Oklahoma Constitution. To 
facilitate the enforcement of the Code, as it relates to judicial elections, the 
Supreme Court now establishes a Committee on Judicial Elections.
RULE 1. ORGANIZATION
A. ORGANIZATION. There is established a Committee on Judicial 
Elections. The Committee shall consist of nine (9) members. Three (3) members 
shall be members of the Oklahoma Bar Association, in good standing, who are not 
judges of a court of record. Three members shall be district judges or associate 
district judges with at least 10 years of service. These judges may be judges in 
active service or they may be retired judges with the required length of service 
before their retirement. Three members shall be lay persons. 
B. APPOINTMENT. The Board of Governors of the Oklahoma Bar Association 
shall appoint the attorney members and the lay members of the committee. The 
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall appoint the judge members. The terms of 
the initial appointments to the Committee shall be as follows: two attorney 
members, two judge members and one lay member shall be appointed for a term of 
four years; one attorney member, one judge member and two lay members shall be 
appointed for a term of eight (8) years. Following the initial appointments the 
terms of service for the members of the Committee shall be for eight (8) 
years.
If a member of the Committee changes his or her status as a member of one of 
the three (3) categories of membership, the Committee member shall immediately 
submit his or her resignation from the Committee to the Chairperson of the 
Committee. The Chairperson of the Committee shall provide notice of resignation 
to the appointing authority for the affected category of membership. Within 
sixty (60) days the appointing authority shall appoint a new member of the 
Committee. The resignation of the former committee member shall not be effective 
until the replacement member is appointed. The replacement member shall be 
appointed for the remainder of the unexpired term of the former member and may 
be reappointed.
If a member of the committee resigns for a reason other than a change of 
eligibility status or death the procedure set out in the previous paragraph 
shall be followed in appointing a new committee member.
C. CHAIRPERSON. 
D. CONFIDENTIALITY. 
RULE 2: COMPLAINTS
A. COMPLAINT FORM. 
B.
B. FILING. 
C. RECEIPT. 
D. PANEL. 
E. NOTICE OF A COMPLAINT.
F
G. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PANEL CHAIRPERSON. 
RULE 3: HEARING PROCEDURES
A. NOTICE OF THE HEARING. 
B. RESPONSE. 
C. FAILURE TO RESPOND.
D. HEARING.
1. The parties shall have an opportunity to appear at the hearing in person 
and/or by counsel. 
2. The parties may call witnesses to give testimony relevant to the issues 
raised in the pleadings and may present any relevant evidence in support of the 
party's position.
3 The parties may offer oral arguments in support of their positions.
4. The rules of evidence shall not be strictly enforced and the chairperson 
shall endeavor to conduct the proceedings in such a way as to ascertain the 
truth of the matter before the panel without allowing undue or duplicative 
proof.
E.
F. DETERMINATION. 
G. BURDEN OF PROOF AND EVIDENTIARY STANDARD. 
H. HEARING PANEL'S REPORT.
I.
If the complaint is resolved through the waiver of the hearing procedure 
there is no right of appeal by either party.
J. CEASE AND DESIST ORDER.
1. Immediately cease the offending conduct;
2. Withdraw the offending material, if any, from public distribution and/or 
publication;
3. Publish a retraction in the specific media required by the panel;
4. Publish an apology in the specific manner required by the panel; 
and/or
5. Submit a signed written agreement of compliance within time certain;
6. Any other remedial measure deemed appropriate by the panel;
7. Any combination of the above remedial 
measures.
The order shall provide for a reasonable time as determined by the panel, 
within which a defending party-candidate must comply with the cease and desist 
order and the manner for establishing proof of such compliance. In setting the 
time for compliance with the cease and desist order the panel shall take into 
consideration the time remaining before the judicial election. Before 
publication the chairperson of the panel shall approve the wording of any 
retraction or apology required of a candidate.
If the defending party candidate does not comply with the cease and desist 
order, the panel may request that the Committee on Judicial Elections refer the 
matter in accordance with Rule 6 to the General Counsel of the Oklahoma Bar 
Association or to the Council on Judicial Complaints.
K. FINDING OF NO VIOLATION.
L. DISCLOSURE OF THE HEARING PANEL'S REPORT.
M. CHANGE OF TIME LIMITS.
N. DECISION TO APPEAL.
1. If either the complaining party or the defending party wishes to appeal 
the decision of the Hearing Panel that party may do so by notifying the chair of 
the Committee on Judicial Elections of the decision to appeal and following the 
appointment of the Appellate Panel file with that panel a notice of appeal and a 
position paper. The position paper shall set out the basis of the party's appeal 
and why there was or there was not a violation(s) of the Rules of Judicial 
Conduct. The defending party may commence such an appeal even though he or she 
has agreed to comply with a cease and desist order or other directive. 
2. If the appeal is commenced the Hearing Panel will file with the Appellate 
Panel its decision, orders and/or directives and the original record of all 
materials filed with the Hearing Panel. This material together with the party's 
notice of appeal and position paper shall be the record on the appeal.
3. The party appealing the decision of the Hearing Panel shall now be 
designated the Appellant. The other party shall be designated the 
Appellee.
O. STAY OF ACTION PENDING APPEAL. 
P. TIME FOR FILING NOTICE OF APPEAL AND POSITION PAPERS.
RULE 4: APPELLATE PROCEDURES
A. APPOINTMENT OF APPELLATE PANEL. 
B. NOTIFICATION. 
C. APPELLEE'S POSITION PAPER. 
D. FORM OF POSITION PAPERS. 
E. ADMINISTRATOR. 
F. COUNSEL. 
G. HEARING. 
1. The hearing shall be a de novo hearing. 
2. The parties may call witnesses to give testimony relevant to the issues 
raised in the pleadings and may present any relevant evidence in support of the 
party's position.
3. The parties may offer oral arguments in support of their positions.
4. The rules of evidence shall not be strictly enforced and the administrator 
shall endeavor to conduct the proceedings in such a way as to ascertain the 
truth of the matter before the panel without allowing undue or duplicative 
proof.
H. DECISION.
1. Within five (5) business days of the date of the hearing the Appellate 
Panel will issue its decision. The Panel may affirm, modify or reverse the 
decision of the Hearing Panel. If the Committee finds that there has been a 
violation of the Code of Judicial Conduct it shall determine if remedial action 
should be imposed and, if any, the remedial action that is to be imposed upon 
the person or persons committing the violation.
2. The decision shall be issued in writing and shall contain findings of fact 
and conclusions of law and it shall specify any action taken by the Appellate 
Panel and the remedial action to be imposed, if any. 
3. A majority of the members of the Appellate Panel must agree with the 
decision and sign it.
 
RULE 5: ACTIONS AND SANCTIONS
A. PUBLIC STATEMENT. 
B. CEASE AND DESIST ORDER.
RULE 6. REFERRAL FOR DISCIPLINE.
In no event shall the Committee on Judicial Elections have the authority to 
institute disciplinary proceedings against any candidate for judicial office, 
which power is specifically reserved to the Council on Judicial Complaints or 
the Oklahoma Bar Association, as the facts may warrant. As may be appropriate, 
the Committee on Judicial Elections may refer its file, findings, conclusions 
and recommendations for discipline to the Council on Judicial Complaints or the 
Oklahoma Bar Association.
 
DEFINITIONS
"Business Day" - The term "business day" in these rules shall include all the 
days of the week Monday through Friday except for legal holidays recognized by 
the state of Oklahoma.
"Committee" - The term Committee in these rules means the Committee on 
Judicial Elections.
"Complaint" - the term "complaint" refers to the original complaint and/or 
any amended complaint which is filed.
"Filing" - Filing may be accomplished by personal delivery during regular 
business hours, by facsimile, e-mail or any form of overnight mail delivery 
requiring certification of delivery. If the filing is made by facsimile or 
e-mail, a copy shall also be sent by overnight mail delivery.
"Forum" - A forum for purposes of the rules can include an organization, 
group of people or any form of publication including written, television, radio 
or digital media.
"Forward" - Forwarding may be accomplished by personal delivery during 
regular business hours or by facsimile, e-mail or any form of overnight mail 
delivery requiring certification of delivery. If made by facsimile or e-mail, a 
copy shall also be sent by overnight mail delivery.
"Remedial action" - Remedial action shall include all of those actions which 
a Hearing Panel may impose or require as specified in Rule 3 J of these 
rules.
"Service" - Service may be accomplished by personal delivery during regular 
business hours or by facsimile, e-mail or any form of overnight mail delivery 
requiring certification of delivery. If made by facsimile or e-mail, a copy 
shall also be sent by overnight mail delivery.
"Submit" - Submitting may be accomplished by personal delivery during regular 
business hours or by e-mail, facsimile or any form of overnight mail delivery 
requiring certification of delivery. If made by e-mail, facsimile or a copy 
shall also be sent by overnight mail delivery.