Supreme Court of Oklahoma
Oklahoma City · A court of last resort in Oklahoma.
The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is the court of last resort for civil cases in Oklahoma. Its justices are chosen by gubernatorial appointment from a nominating commission, followed by retention elections. This page lists every justice to serve on the court, current and former, with when they joined the bench and whom they succeeded.
Current bench verified against the court’s official roster, 2026-07-02.
Current justices
- Chief JusticeDustin P. Rowe
- James Winchester
- James E. Edmondson
- Douglas L. Combs
- Noma Gurich
- Richard Darby
- M. J. Kane IV
- Dana Kuehn
- Travis Jett
Former justices
| Justice | Years |
|---|---|
| John F. Reif | 2007 |
| Tom Colbert | 2004 |
| Steven W. Taylor | 2004 |
| Daniel J. Boudreau | 1999–2004 |
| Joseph M. Watt | 1992 |
| Hardy Summers | 1985–2003 |
| Yvonne Kauger | 1984 |
| Alma Wilson | 1982–1999 |
| Rudolph Hargrave | 1978–2010 |
| Marian P. Opala | 1978–2010 |
| Don Barnes | 1972–1985 |
| John B. Doolin | 1972–1993 |
| Rooney McInerney | 1967–1972 |
| Ralph B. Hodges | 1965–2004 |
| Robert Eugene Lavender | 1965–2007 |
| William A. Berry | 1958–1978 |
| W. A. Carlile | 1956–1959 |
| Pat Irwin | 1956–1983 |
| A. C. Hunt | 1955–1956 |
| Floyd L. Jackson | 1955–1973 |
| William N. Blackbird | 1953–1971 |
| Ben T. Williams | 1953–1981 |
| George Allen Bingaman | 1951–1953 |
| Harry Lee Stuart Halley | 1949–1967 |
| Cecil Talmadge O'Neal | 1949–1955 |
| Napoleon Bonaparte Johnson | 1947–1965 |
| John E. Luttrell | 1947–1951 |
| Ben C. Arnold | 1941–1955 |
| Denver N. Davison | 1937–1978 |
| Thurman S. Hurst | 1936–1948 |
| Thomas S. Corn | 1935–1959 |
| Nelson L. Gibson | 1935–1953 |
| Earl Welch | 1933–1965 |
How a justice reaches this court. Justices of the Supreme Court of Oklahoma are appointed by the governor to 6-year terms and then face yes-or-no retention elections. Oklahoma’s court of last resort for civil matters: the Judicial Nominating Commission nominates, the governor appoints, then unopposed yes-or-no retention elections. Selection methods vary by jurisdiction and have changed over time; this page reflects the court’s current method (source: National Center for State Courts). Open any justice to see their tenure and whom they succeeded.
Source: Current roster: Oklahoma Supreme Court (oksc.oscn.net) — Members of the Supreme Court and CourtListener / Free Law Project (bulk data); selection method from the National Center for State Courts. Data as of 2026-07-02 (official roster); historical bench 2026-03-31 (CourtListener bulk snapshot). Verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).