Vol. 1 | No. 46 | November 17, 2021
Oklahoma Supreme Court
STATE ex rel. OKLAHOMA BAR ASSOCIATION v. SWEET
2021 OK 57, SCBD-7081
Decided 11/15/2021
¶1 This summary disciplinary proceeding initiated pursuant to Rule 7 of the Rules Governing Disciplinary Proceedings (RGDP) 1 is on to consider the Oklahoma Bar Association's (OBA) request to enter a final order of discipline. Upon examination of the filings in this matter and after due notice to Respondent Amber Ann Sweet (Sweet), the Court finds and orders that ...
STATE ex rel. OKLAHOMA BAR ASSOCIATION v. GRAYSON
2021 OK 58, SCBD-7066
Decided 11/16/2021
¶0 The complainant, Oklahoma Bar Association, charged the respondent, Tynan Dasharey Grayson, with seven counts of professional misconduct which involved neglecting multiple clients, failing to cooperate with the investigation, and one count of aggravation stemming from four prior counts of misconduct. The Professional Responsibility Tribunal recommended that the respondent be suspended from the practice of law for two years and a day and that costs be imposed. Upon de novo review we hold that the respondent's license to practice law is suspended for two years and a day. The respondent is assessed costs in the sum of $3,862.34 for payment not later than ninety days after this opinion becomes final. RESPONDENT SUSPENDED; COSTS IMPOSED.
H2K TECHNOLOGIES v. WSP USA
2021 OK 59, 119422
Decided 11/16/2021
¶0 This is an action by a materialman to foreclose a materialmen's lien. The lien was discharged and the original contractor and its surety were substituted as defendants. The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of the defendants holding that because the subcontractor had waived its right to file a lien the materialman had no right to file a lien. We reverse and remand for further proceedings.
MCBEE v. SHANAHAN HOME DESIGN
2021 OK 60, 119181 Comp w/119190; 119337
Decided 11/16/2021
¶ 0 Counsel failed to promptly issue summons in a lawsuit against two defendants relating to the construction of plaintiff's home. During the pendency of plaintiff's case, the Oklahoma Supreme Court issued emergency administrative orders recommending closure of courthouse facilities and suspending certain deadlines as a result of the Covid-19 viral outbreak. Plaintiff served the defendants more than 180 days after filing her suit. The trial court dismissed plaintiff's case for failure to comply with 12 O.S.Supp.2017, § 2004 (I), which requires service of process within 180 days of filing a petition. We now reverse and conclude the trial judge erroneously sustained the motion to dismiss based on untimely service. This Court's emergency orders acted to suspend or toll the period under § 2004(I); therefore, plaintiff timely accomplished service of process when the period between March 16, 2020, and May 15, 2020, is excluded from computing the deadline.
The Supreme Court of Oklahoma Court Calendar
The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is in session year round, unless otherwise noted. The Court regularly schedules conferences on Mondays and other days as needed.
Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals
No published opinions this week.
Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals
No published opinions this week.
Dispositions Other than by Published Opinions
CLICK HERE to read Dispositions Other than by Published Opinions.
The Oklahoma Bar Association announced its 2022 officers and new Board of Governors members on Friday, Nov. 12, during the OBA’s 117th annual meeting in Oklahoma City.
Tulsa attorney James “Jim” R. Hicks will serve as the Oklahoma Bar Association’s 2022 president, following a year as president-elect. He will lead the OBA’s 17-member Board of Governors, which meets monthly and governs the association.
Past President Mike Mordy, Vice President Miles Pringle
Hicks attended OU and received his bachelor’s degree in finance before attending the TU College of Law. Admitted to practice in 1985, he served as a member of the OBA Board of Governors from 2015 to 2019. He also served as president of the Tulsa County Bar Association from 2013 to 2014 and the Tulsa County Bar Foundation from 2017 to 2019. He currently practices with the law firm of Barrow & Grimm PC, where his focus is on the litigation and transactional needs of individuals and businesses. He also represents clients in probate, estate planning and family law matters. He has been recognized as an outstanding young lawyer by the TCBA and received the TCBA President’s Award. In 1995, he was recognized as the OBA’s outstanding young lawyer.
Brian T. Hermanson of Ponca City will serve as president-elect for 2022, and Miles T. Pringle of Oklahoma City will serve as vice president.
Also elected to the OBA Board of Governors to represent their respective Supreme Court judicial districts are S. Shea Bracken of Edmond, Dustin E. Conner of Enid and Allyson E. Dow of Norman. They will serve three-year terms. Angela Ailles Bahm of Oklahoma City will also serve a three-year term as a member at large. Dylan D. Erwin of Oklahoma City will serve a one-year term as OBA Young Lawyers Division chairperson.
Ardmore attorney Michael C. Mordy, who serves as the 2021 OBA president, will remain on the OBA Board of Governors for one year as immediate past president.
New officers and Board of Governors members will take office Jan. 1, 2022. They will officially be sworn into office Jan. 13, 2022.
OBA leadership roles are voluntary positions in which lawyers serve while continuing to practice law.
The 18,000-member Oklahoma Bar Association, headquartered in Oklahoma City, was created by the Oklahoma Supreme Court to advance the administration of justice and to foster and maintain learning, integrity, competence, public service and high standards of conduct among Oklahoma’s legal community.
Congratulations 2021 Award Winners
Celebrating Excellence. Enjoy this slideshow of photos from the OBA Annual Luncheon. Pictured with President Mike Mordy are 2021 award winners. Congratulations to those who were honored over the course of the three-day Annual Meeting. Watch for more pictures from those presentations in next week's Courts and More and in the December Oklahoma Bar Journal.
Bar Business Conducted
OBA members who attended the General Assembly during the Annual Meeting heard updates from Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Richard B. Darby, Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Scott Rowland and OBA President Mike Mordy.
If you were unable to attend, the remarks were recorded for you to view.
VIEW 2021 State of the Judiciary
VIEW 2021 State of the Court of Criminal Appeals
VIEW State of the Oklahoma Bar Association
Nov. 3, 2021 – The Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) announces the following individuals have applied for the position of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, District 1, a vacancy created by the appointment of the Honorable Dana L. Kuehn to the Supreme Court:
- Martha Rupp Carter, Tulsa
- William J. Musseman, Jr., Broken Arrow
- Joy L. Thorp, Broken Arrow
- Russell C. Vaclaw, Bartlesville
With assistance from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the JNC will immediately commence background reviews on these candidates, and interviews will be scheduled as soon as practicable at the conclusion of these background reviews.
The JNC strongly encourages the public to submit comments on these applicants. Comments may be mailed to:
Administrative Office of the Courts
Attn: Tammy Reaves
2100 North Lincoln, Suite 3
Oklahoma City OK 73105
and
James D. Bland
17 East Carl Albert Parkway
McAlester, OK 74501
The Judicial Nominating Commission seeks applicants to fill a vacancy for the position of Judge for the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals, District 4, Office 2. This vacancy is created by the resignation of the Honorable Trevor Pemberton on Oct. 18, 2021.
To be appointed to the office of Judge of the Court of Civil Appeals, one must be a legal resident of the respective district at the time (s)he takes the oath of office and assumes the duties of office. Additionally, prior to appointment, such appointee shall have had a minimum of four years’ experience in Oklahoma as a licensed practicing attorney, a judge of a court of record, or both.
Application forms can be obtained online or by contacting Tammy Reaves at (405) 556-9300. Applications must be submitted to the Chairman of the JNC no later than 5:00 p.m., Friday, Dec. 10, 2021. Applications may be hand-carried, mailed or delivered by third party commercial carrier. Whether mailed or delivered, they must be postmarked on or before Dec. 10, 2021, to be deemed timely.
Applications should be mailed/delivered to:
James Bland, Chairman
Oklahoma Judicial Nominating Commission
c/o Tammy Reaves
Administrative Office of the Courts
2100 N. Lincoln Blvd., Suite 3
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
NOTICE OF HEARING ON THE PETITION FOR REINSTATEMENT
OF SIDNEY WADE JONES, SCBD # 7126
TO MEMBERSHIP IN THE OKLAHOMA BAR ASSOCIATION
Notice is hereby given pursuant to Rule 11.3(b), Rules Governing Disciplinary Proceedings, 5 O.S., ch. 1, app. 1-A, that a hearing will be held to determine if Sidney Wade Jones should be reinstated to active membership in the Oklahoma Bar Association.
Any person desiring to be heard in opposition to or in support of the petition may appear before the
Professional Responsibility Tribunal at the Oklahoma Bar Center at 1901 North Lincoln Boulevard, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at 9:30 a.m. on TUESDAY, DEC. 7, 2021. Any person wishing to appear should contact Gina Hendryx, General Counsel, Oklahoma Bar Association, P.O. Box 53036, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73152, telephone (405) 416-7007.
PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY TRIBUNAL
![OHCA Jobopening2021 3.jpg REVISED[3]](https://www.okbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/OHCA_jobopening2021-3.jpg-REVISED3.jpg "OHCA Jobopening2021 3.jpg REVISED[3]")
By Jim Calloway, Director
Management Assistance Program
Expanding the Clipboard memory in Word is something all lawyers should know how to utilize. It is so simple. Just open a document in Word and click the arrow angled downward to expand the Clipboard group. Now copy a few sections of the document and watch the expanded Clipboard grow as it displays the saved items. It will save up to 24 clips and all of them can be pasted into your document by clicking on them individually.
This can be a powerful tool when you are editing a document that requires the same variables inserted in multiple places. The expanded Clipboard doesn’t work on the online or Mac version of Word and clips larger than 4 MB in size won’t be stored.
Tech Republic’s post How to get more out of your Clipboards in Microsoft Office covers many more power Clipboard functions, including how to pin certain items so they will always show up even if you have turned off the machine. Imagine pinning a blank attorney client contract or another document you use frequently and always being able to insert it into a blank Word document with one click.
