McAlester News-Capital, McAlester, OK

Local News

November 7, 2008

New duties for Taylor on high court

By James Beaty

A McAlester resident is the new vice chief justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

The justices at the state’s high court elected Justice Steven Taylor on Thursday as the new vice chief justice for 2009 and 2010.

“I’m honored by my colleagues having this confidence in me,” Taylor said.

The justices also elected current Vice Chief Justice James Edmondson, of Muskogee, to serve as the new chief justice of the state Supreme Court. Edmondson will replace current Chief Justice James Winchester, of Chickasha.

Taylor, in turn, will replace Edmondson in the vice chief justice’s post.

When Taylor begins serving as vice chief justice of the state’s highest court, he will have a lot of additional duties.

The nine justices meet in a conference every Monday with no one else, not even their staff, in attendance.

The vice chief justice keeps a record of what transpires in the conferences, including any matters that come up for vote and how the justices voted.

Also, when a case is appealed to the Supreme Court from the state Court of Civil Appeals, the vice chief justice assigns that case to one of his fellow Supreme Court justices for research and a proposed opinion. The justices in such cases are assigned in an organized, but random, manner.

Edmondson, who is the brother of Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson, will also have a a lot of additional duties when he begins serving as the new chief justice.

The chief justice’s duties include serving as the administrator of the Supreme Court as well as administering the state’s judicial branch for all 77 Oklahoma counties.

While Justice Taylor spends weekdays in Oklahoma City, he always returns to his native city on weekends.

“I look forward to coming to McAlester, which is still my home,” Taylor said.

Taylor, who is a graduate of McAlester High School and Oklahoma State University, also served in the U.S. Marine Corps.

After returning to McAlester to serve in private practice as an attorney, he won election to the city council in 1980 and in 1982 won election to the mayor’s post.

Then-Gov. George Nigh appointed him to the office of Pittsburg County associate district judge in 1984, and Taylor won election to the office in 1986 and again in 1990.

In 1994, Taylor won election to the post of district judge for the 18th Judicial District, which includes Pittsburg and McIntosh counties.

Taylor presided over the state trial of Oklahoma City bomber Terry Nichols, held in McAlester in 2004 following a change of venue from Oklahoma County to Pittsburg County.

Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry appointed Taylor to the Oklahoma Supreme Court in September 2004.

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