Governor Kevin Stitt has appointed Jason Reese, his former general counsel, and former attorney for State Superintendent Ryan Walters, as the new district judge for Logan and Payne counties. The announcement, initially reported by The Oklahoman on Dec. 21, has been confirmed by Guthrie News Page despite no official word from the governor’s office.
Reese succeeds Judge Phillip Corley, who retired on September 1 after 13 years of service. The district judgeship, typically an elected position with four-year terms, was filled outside of the election cycle through a process led by the Oklahoma Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC).
Reese, sworn into office Thursday morning in Oklahoma City, will earn an annual salary of $145,567.
Reese was one of seven candidates considered for the position. After interviewing in October, he emerged as one of three finalists chosen by the JNC, along with Logan County Associate Judge Louis Duel Jr. and Payne County Associate Judge Katherine Thomas.
Duel, a relative of State Representative Collin Duel, has been a Logan County judge since 2010, and has a background as an assistant district attorney and undersheriff. Thomas, a Payne County special judge since 2011, has 16 years of experience as an assistant district attorney and has served on local boards addressing counseling and child advocacy.
Despite the qualifications of the sitting judges, Stitt selected Reese, who had served as the governor’s general counsel for nine months and now with the appointment has a legal address in Guthrie. Reese’s prior residence at the time of the interview process was listed in The Village.
Reese has an extensive legal and political background, including running unsuccessfully for labor commissioner in 2010, an Oklahoma Senate seat in 2012, and an Oklahoma House seat in 2018. He served as the general counsel to Governor Stitt until September 2021. He also represented Supt. Walters and the Oklahoma State Department of Education in several high-profile lawsuits.
While Reese withdrew from two of these cases at key points and Walters lost one, his legal expertise and connections ultimately positioned him for the judgeship.
District judge appointments are typically announced through a press release from the governor’s office, but no notification has been issued so far.
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