Scandal and Reform: a Historical Study of Corruption and Reform in Oklahoma's Court System, 1956-1967

Abstract

In the years 1964 and 1965 Oklahomans learned the shocking details of corruption in the Oklahoma Supreme Court. At least three justices had accepted substantial bribes in exchange for their votes. In the case of at least one justice, this practice had been ongoing for a generation, and rumors of corruption had stained the Court's reputation for years. Oklahoma's judicial framework had been established at statehood and had remained unchanged since that time. All judges were elected in partisan elections, running as members of their political party, which made the political as well as judicial officeholders. Other than through the ballot box or the unlikely threat of impeachment, no system existed to hold judges accountable for their conduct. At the lowest level of the judiciary, unqualified justices of the peace worked under a system which gave them a vested interest in the outcome of the cases they heard. I argue that domination by one political party and the control of the legislature by conservative rural legislators helped to prevent reform of Oklahoma's judicial system, even after the graft had been exposed. It was only after the Republican Party began to establish a foothold and the legislature had been reapportioned that meaningful changes to the court structure became viable. Oklahoma's governor and legislators displayed considerable political acumen in presenting a court reform proposal acceptable to Oklahoma's voters. These reforms created a considerably more professional and competent judiciary in Oklahoma.