Rules for the Committee on Judicial Elections
Chapter 1, App. 4C
Rule 3, Hearing Procedures

1. A. NOTICE OF THE HEARING. The panel chairperson shall set a date for a hearing to be held not less than two (2) calendar days and not more than six (6) calendar days after the appointment of the Hearing Panel and shall by e-mail or facsimile immediately notify both parties of the date of the hearing.

2. B. RESPONSE. The defending party shall serve a written response to the allegations of the complaint along with any supporting documentation or materials to the members of the Hearing Panel and to the complaining party. A copy of the response with all supporting documentation and materials shall also be filed with the Administrative Director of the Courts. Except as provided in Rule 3 E, the Response shall be filed within two business days of receiving a copy of the complaint. The response may be filed during regular business hours by personal delivery or be sent by overnight delivery using the United States Postal Service First Class mail, another express delivery service, or by e-mail or facsimile. The date of personal delivery, the sending of the e-mail, or facsimile or the date of mailing shall be considered the date of filing. C. FAILURE TO RESPOND. If the defending party does not file a response in the manner required by Rule 3 B the Hearing Panel may proceed to hear the matter. However, at its discretion, the Committee may consider a late filed response. D. HEARING. The chairperson of the Hearing Panel shall conduct the hearing which may be in person or at the chairperson's discretion by teleconference or some other effective means which allows all parties and the panel to communicate directly with each other. 1. The parties shall have an opportunity to appear at the hearing in person and/or by counsel. 2. The parties may call witnesses to give testimony relevant to the issues raised in the pleadings and may present any relevant evidence in support of the party's position. 3 The parties may offer oral arguments in support of their positions. 4. The rules of evidence shall not be strictly enforced and the chairperson shall endeavor to conduct the proceedings in such a way as to ascertain the truth of the matter before the panel without allowing undue or duplicative proof. E.EXPEDITED HEARING. If a complaint is filed within two weeks of an election in which the parties are involved, the panel chairperson may determine that an expedited hearing is necessary. If such an expedited hearing is determined to be necessary the panel chairperson, in the chairperson's sole discretion, shall set the date for the hearing and the time for filing a response to the complaint. All panel members and the parties shall be notified by e-mail or facsimile of the date and time for the expedited hearing and the time in which to respond to the complaint. The provision of Rule 3 C shall apply if no response is filed. F. DETERMINATION. Following the hearing the panel shall determine if a violation(s) of Canon 4 have occurred and that the allegations warrant speedy intervention or, alternatively, that a violation(s) of Canon 4 has not occurred, and/or that the allegations do not warrant speedy intervention by the panel. G. BURDEN OF PROOF AND EVIDENTIARY STANDARD. The party bringing the complaint shall have the burden of proof. The standard of evidence to be used by the panel in making its determination of whether a violation of the Rules of Judicial Conduct has occurred shall be by clear and convincing evidence. H. HEARING PANEL'S REPORT. The panel shall issue a written report within two (2) business days after the hearing specifying the panel's determination. If a violation is found the report shall identify the rule(s) which has been violated and the conduct constituting the violation(s). A majority of the panel members must agree with the report and sign it. The report of the panel shall be transmitted to the parties orally, or by facsimile or by e-mail and copies shall be sent to the parties by overnight delivery. I.WAIVER OF HEARING PROCEDURES. The hearing before the Hearing Panel may be waived if the Complaining Party, the Defending Party and the Hearing Panel agree to the waiver of the hearing. The waiver by the parties shall be in writing and sent by facsimile or e-mail to the Chair of the Hearing Panel. Each party shall submit his or her individual waiver to the panel chair. Following the receipt of the waivers by the parties the panel members and the parties may then confer in person or by a telephone conference in an attempt to resolve the complaint. If the complaint is resolved through the informal procedure the Hearing Panel may dismiss the complaint if it is determined there was no violation of Canon 4. If it is decided by the Hearing Panel there has been a violation of Canon 4, the panel may require any of the action provided for in Rule 3 J. The Hearing Panel shall provide oral notice of its decision to the parties and shall send a written decision by facsimile or e-mail to the parties and to the Chair of the Committee on Judicial Elections.

   If the complaint is resolved through the waiver of the hearing procedure there is no right of appeal by either party.

3. J. CEASE AND DESIST ORDER. If the panel determines that a violation(s) of Canon 4 has occurred, it may issue a cease and desist order which identifies the rule(s) violated and the conduct determined to be a violation of Canon 4. The panel may direct the defending party-candidate to take appropriate remedial measures which may include: 1. Immediately cease the offending conduct; 2. Withdraw the offending material, if any, from public distribution and/or publication; 3. Publish a retraction in the specific media required by the panel; 4. Publish an apology in the specific manner required by the panel; and/or 5. Submit a signed written agreement of compliance within time certain; 6. Any other remedial measure deemed appropriate by the panel; 7. Any combination of the above remedial measures.

   The order shall provide for a reasonable time as determined by the panel, within which a defending party-candidate must comply with the cease and desist order and the manner for establishing proof of such compliance. In setting the time for compliance with the cease and desist order the panel shall take into consideration the time remaining before the judicial election. Before publication the chairperson of the panel shall approve the wording of any retraction or apology required of a candidate.

   If the defending party candidate does not comply with the cease and desist order, the panel may request that the Committee on Judicial Elections refer the matter in accordance with Rule 6 to the General Counsel of the Oklahoma Bar Association or to the Council on Judicial Complaints.

4. K. FINDING OF NO VIOLATION. If the panel's decision is that it does not believe that a violation(s) has occurred, the panel shall issue a decision that it has determined no violation has occurred. The complaining party shall have the opportunity to request an appellate hearing. L. DISCLOSURE OF THE HEARING PANEL'S REPORT. After the Hearing Panel has considered the complaint and made its report, if no appeal of the decision of Hearing Panel is filed pursuant to Rule 3N, the Hearing Panel will release the report to the public within five (5) business days after the filing of its report pursuant to Rule 3H. If the decision of the Hearing Panel is appealed, the Hearing Panel shall not release its report to the public.
5. M. CHANGE OF TIME LIMITS. The chairperson of the Hearing Panel, for good cause shown may shorten or extend the time limits set out in this rule.

6. N. DECISION TO APPEAL.

   1. 1. If either the complaining party or the defending party wishes to appeal the decision of the Hearing Panel that party may do so by notifying the chair of the Committee on Judicial Elections of the decision to appeal and following the appointment of the Appellate Panel file with that panel a notice of appeal and a position paper. The position paper shall set out the basis of the party's appeal and why there was or there was not a violation(s) of the Rules of Judicial Conduct. The defending party may commence such an appeal even though he or she has agreed to comply with a cease and desist order or other directive.
   2. 2. If the appeal is commenced the Hearing Panel will file with the Appellate Panel its decision, orders and/or directives and the original record of all materials filed with the Hearing Panel. This material together with the party's notice of appeal and position paper shall be the record on the appeal.
   3. 3. The party appealing the decision of the Hearing Panel shall now be designated the Appellant. The other party shall be designated the Appellee.
7. O. STAY OF ACTION PENDING APPEAL. The Hearing Panel may stay any remedial action pending on appeal. P. TIME FOR FILING NOTICE OF APPEAL AND POSITION PAPERS. If the appeal is commenced, the Notice of Appeal and Position Paper(s) provided for in Rule 3 N shall be filed within five (5) business days of the receipt of the decision of the Hearing Panel.

RULE 3: HEARING PROCEDURES

Approved by order of the Supreme Court, 2010 OK 91. Amended by order of the Supreme Court, 2018 OK 98, eff. December 17, 2018. (superseded document available)