By: Oklahoma now in tie with Massachusettes for most legislative efforts to remove judges from office in 2011 » Gavel to Gavel

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 13:14:04 +0000

[...] I mentioned in March that 2011 was on track to have most efforts to remove judges from office in recent memory with efforts lodged against 10 judges by various state legislatures. Since then Pennsylvania was added (see post here). Now, Oklahoma’s legislature, which already had three such efforts, has added a fourth. HR 1024 petitions the Trial Division of the Court on the Judiciary to assume jurisdiction and institute proceedings for the removal of District Judge Tom Lucas for failing to disqualify himself from hearing cases prosecuted by the Office of the District Attorney of Cleveland County. The ABA Journal and The Oklahoman have a full recap of the events surrounding the DA’s blanket recusal motion (filed under seal) and the judge’s (very public) denial. In short, the DA’s office contends that Lucas is prejudiced against the prosecution in all criminal cases due to an active child molestation investigation in which a member of the judge’s family is involved. [...]

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By: Oklahoma now in tie with Massachusettes for most legislative efforts to remove judges from office in 2011 » Gavel to Gavel