Supreme Court of Oklahoma

The court held that Oklahoma’s Civil Service Modernization Act does not give state employees a constitutionally protected property interest in continued employment, so Turner was entitled to the statutory and regulatory post-termination process, not additional constitutional process.

The Court held that IBC Bank did not waive its contractual right to arbitrate because it timely moved to compel arbitration and its litigation conduct was permitted by the parties’ anti-waiver provisions.

The Court assumed original jurisdiction and held that State Question 843, which would phase out ad valorem taxation on homesteads and fully exempt them by 2029, conflicts with Article X, § 8 of the Oklahoma Constitution.

The Court answered the Tenth Circuit’s three certified questions by holding that Oklahoma law prohibits changing the sex designation on a birth certificate, has never permitted such changes, and has never permitted changes based on gender identity.

The court affirmed judgment for the defendants, holding that the tort claims were barred because the improvement alleged to have caused the damage was substantially complete more than ten years before suit, and that the warranty and contract claims were barred by the five-year limitations period.

The Court adopted the Council’s findings that Judge Holmes repeatedly violated the Code of Judicial Conduct, but concluded that her conduct did not amount to oppression in office warranting removal.

The Supreme Court of Oklahoma approved the respondent's amended resignation from the Oklahoma Bar Association pending disciplinary proceedings, relinquishing his right to practice law and imposing a five‑year bar on reinstatement and a cost award.

The Supreme Court of Oklahoma held that the trial court erred in admitting evidence of a prior employee fall to prove Wal‑Mart’s notice of a black‑ice hazard and that, absent specific knowledge of the exact hazard, Wal‑Mart owed no duty to the plaintiff, warranting a directed verdict in Wal‑Mart’s favor.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court held that the February 4, 2019 proceeding was a hearing on the OCPA motion to dismiss, that allowing limited discovery did not extend the hearing date, and that the trial court lacked authority to grant the motion after it was denied by operation of law, thus reversing the trial court’s…

The Oklahoma Supreme Court reversed the district court’s denial of the mother’s petition to vacate the termination of parental rights, finding that the termination proceeded without the procedural due‑process protections required by statute and the Constitution, and remanded for a proper evidentiary hearing.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court reversed the district court’s grant of summary judgment to Thomas, holding that the trial court abused its discretion by refusing to allow Liberty Mutual to withdraw deemed admissions and therefore erred in its judgment.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court held that Kenton C. Cobb’s conduct in Wyoming constituted professional misconduct warranting reciprocal discipline in Oklahoma, and imposed a three‑month suspension that begins when he files a Rule 9.1 affidavit.

The Supreme Court granted the Board's request for an immediate interim suspension of Susan Johnson's certification as a court reporter. The court found sufficient evidence of conduct indicating unfitness and an immediate threat of public harm, based on alleged repeated transcript delays, unreliability, and contempt…

The Court conducted de novo review of the disciplinary record and found that Perez violated the rule prohibiting misrepresentation in obtaining certification by falsely swearing that she was unable to work or complete continuing education throughout the year.

The court held that Hudson's policy provided primary automobile liability coverage and that General Star's policy provided excess coverage, making Hudson responsible for the covered payments after the underlying coverage was exhausted.

The Court held that the insured's tortious-interference and civil-conspiracy claims against the engineering company were legally unavailable because the company acted as the insurer's representative while inspecting the insured's property.

The court held that the Providers were immune from ordinary-negligence liability under Oklahoma's COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Limited Liability Act because their pandemic-related policies impacted Blake's treatment, leaving only gross negligence or willful and wanton misconduct for the jury.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court disbarred Margaret Jean Lowery, finding her false statements about judges and the Illinois Supreme Court violated multiple Oklahoma Rules of Professional Conduct and that the Illinois disciplinary order was not void.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court affirmed the trial court’s grant of summary judgment denying Brown & Son’s and Schaefer’s contribution claim, holding that the injuries they caused are distinct and therefore do not satisfy the “same injury” requirement of 12 O.S. § 832.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court granted a writ of prohibition, holding that the district court abused its discretion by allowing the Attorney General to intervene in a private breach‑of‑contract action, because such intervention would improperly expand the scope of the litigation.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court held that RCB Bank could not foreclose the Tulsa County mortgages because the underlying promissory notes had been reduced to a judgment, extinguishing the contract-based cause of action and rendering the statute of limitations expired; 12 O.S.

The Supreme Court of Oklahoma ordered that the attorneys listed in Exhibit A be suspended from bar membership and prohibited from practicing law for failing to pay 2026 dues, finding the Board’s application complied with the Bar’s governing rules.

The Supreme Court of Oklahoma affirmed the district court’s partial summary judgment in favor of the respondent school districts, holding that the Oklahoma Schools Risk Management Trust (OSRMT) willfully violated the Open Meeting Act by failing to include the vote on the amended Trust Agreement on the agenda and by…

The Oklahoma Supreme Court assumed original jurisdiction and granted the State’s request for a writ of mandamus and declaratory relief, holding that Tulsa’s settlement agreement with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation is invalid because it lacks the statutory approvals required for intergovernmental cooperative agreements.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court assumed original jurisdiction and issued a writ of prohibition, holding that the Okfuskee County District Court lacks subject‑matter jurisdiction over an intratribal leadership dispute involving the Thlopthlocco Tribal Town.

The Court held that the challenge to the 2025 Social Studies Standards was moot because those standards no longer existed, and that neither recognized mootness exception applied.

The Supreme Court of Oklahoma granted Brian Keith Melton’s petition for reinstatement to the Oklahoma Bar Association, finding he met the moral character, unauthorized practice, competency, and other statutory requirements.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court affirmed the Professional Responsibility Tribunal’s finding that Ledger Wade Newman’s felony DUI plea and multiple client‑related violations constitute professional misconduct, and imposed a one‑year suspension under Rules 6 and 7.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court disbarred Kelly John Barlean, finding clear and convincing evidence that his criminal domestic‑violence convictions, threatening communications, and repeated violations of professional conduct rules rendered him unfit to practice law.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court affirmed the district court's summary judgment, holding that the plaintiff failed to establish a prima facie medical negligence claim because she presented no qualified expert to testify on the physicians' standard of care or to prove causation.

The Supreme Court of Oklahoma granted the Oklahoma Bar Association’s request for an emergency interim suspension, ordering respondent Rob B. Hopkins suspended from the practice of law because the allegations were deemed sufficient to support such action under Rule 6.2A of the Rules Governing Disciplinary Proceedings.

The Court held that Keenan’s death after the appeal was submitted did not prevent appellate adjudication, and that Keenan had standing to challenge the Treasurer’s application of the Energy Discrimination Elimination Act to OPERS.

The Supreme Court approved Law Watson Pryor McMeans's resignation from the Oklahoma Bar pending disciplinary proceedings, finding it complied with Rule 8.1 of the RGDP and setting the effective date as March 23, 2026, while ordering reimbursement of costs and compliance with other RGDP rules.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court assumed original jurisdiction, held that the trial court abused its discretion by failing to require the parents to show relevance of overly broad discovery requests, and granted a writ of prohibition prohibiting enforcement of the lower court’s order.

The Supreme Court of Oklahoma affirmed the district court’s grant of summary judgment to the Barrington Homeowners Association, holding that the plaintiffs’ three‑day pre‑suit demand was insufficient to satisfy Oklahoma’s derivative‑action demand requirement and that the board’s refusal was protected by the business…

The Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed the reciprocal disciplinary proceeding against attorney Jason Martin Lile, finding that the one‑year suspension imposed by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation was sufficient and no additional Oklahoma discipline was warranted.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court held that the employee's gross negligence claim is barred by the Workers' Compensation Act’s exclusivity provision, even after the employee dismissed his workers' compensation claim, and issued writs ordering dismissal of the claims.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court denied the petition for original jurisdiction and refused to grant the emergency stay and temporary injunction sought by Senator Sacchieri, holding that Service Oklahoma has statutory authority to transmit records and that the Legislature’s failure to adopt the proposed resolution precludes…

The Supreme Court of Oklahoma vacated the Court of Civil Appeals order and affirmed the Workers' Compensation Commission’s decision that the Commission’s change‑of‑treating‑physician order was not an error of law.

The Supreme Court of Oklahoma affirmed the district court’s grant of a protest, holding that the gist of Referendum Petition 2425‑1 was legally insufficient because it misstated the maximum public assistance and omitted the triggering events that limit the duration of the tax increment financing districts.