Mark Schlachtenhaufen
The Edmond Sun
EDMOND —
Three candidates are competing in the Oklahoma County District 7 Office 2 judicial race, and six candidates are competing in the District 7 Office 7 race on Tuesday’s primary election ballot.
Doug Sanderson, Oklahoma County Election Board secretary, said the judicial races will be on Democrat and Republican ballots along with the primary races. Voters registered as an Independent will only vote in the judicial races, Sanderson said.
Regarding geography, Office 2 is only part of Oklahoma County while Office 7 is countywide, Sanderson said. The judges, who have general jurisdiction over most all civil and criminal matters within their sphere of influence, are elected to serve four-year terms.
Candidates, listed alphabetically, vying for District 7 Office 2 are:
• Paul Faulk, of Oklahoma City, who was born in Edmond, said he has been a trial lawyer for 23 years and he is familiar with criminal court processes and well-respected in the legal community. Faulk said he is running because he disagrees with how the current judge conducts herself in the courtroom. He said if elected he would be fair and civil with all who appear before him.
• Twyla Gray, of Oklahoma City, has served as the District 7 Office 2 judge for 12 years, and said as a judge she works for the people who vote in Oklahoma County. Gray said she is tough, fair and independent, and she has never accepted contributions from attorneys. That has irritated a small group of attorneys who think judges should be elected based on what they do, she said. Gray said ex-Edmond Mayor Sandra Naifeh is a member of her re-election committee. She attends Edmond’s Acts 2 United Methodist Church.
• Jim Worrell, of Oklahoma City. Attempts to reach Worrell were not successful.
Candidates, listed alphabetically, vying for District 7 Office 7 are:
• Carson Brooks, of Oklahoma City, is an attorney who has spent his entire career practicing law in the state. Brooks, who has taken many cases before the Oklahoma County District Court, said he has largely centered his legal practice on representing Oklahoma businesses and families to resolve disputes. Brooks said his diverse experience in litigation has prepared him well for the varied issues he would face as a county district judge. He attends The Catholic Church of St. John the Baptist in Edmond.
• Pat Crawley, of Choctaw, is a career prosecutor with more than 20 years experience in law, according to information posted on his Facebook page. Crawley has prosecuted criminal cases and litigated cases up to the U.S. Supreme Court, where he has been admitted to practice for the past 15 years. He has received the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards by Martindale Hubbell. Before law school, he was a police officer in the 1960s and ’70s, and he was the CEO of a corporation for 10 years.
• Kent Eldridge, of Oklahoma City, is the presiding judge for the Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Court. Eldridge touts his life experience gained through 34 years of legal practice, both as practicing attorney and on the bench in his present position.
• Tim Rhodes, of Oklahoma City, said he has been a lawyer for 20 years and his experience includes corporate law, general litigation, serving as a special judge for Oklahoma City and serving as chief deputy court clerk for Oklahoma County for the past 12-plus years. Rhodes, whose parents live in Edmond, said what he does now is similar to the courtroom — applying case law to a myriad of situations. He said being a district judge would be a natural progression, and his objective is to be the best judge he can be and ensure fairness.
• Jackie Short, of Oklahoma City, is a University of Central Oklahoma graduate and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma College of Law. After law school, Short opened a private practice where she litigated a variety of cases including administrative law. Short, whose father was a police officer, said she believes Oklahoma courts should be open, accessible and equal to all. She said if elected she wants to be a role model for children and women. Public service is a way for her to give back to the community, she said.
• Cindy Truong, of Oklahoma City, born in Vietnam, is an Oklahoma County assistant district attorney who has tried more than 50 jury trials to verdict. Truong said she is a living example of what the American Dream is all about, and she wants to give back to the nation that means so much to her and her family. Truong said she has not accepted any contributions from law firms and has spent more than $50,000 of her own money. She said she would be a hard-working, well-rounded judge who would treat people right.
Oklahoma’s court system consists of the Supreme Court, the Court of Criminal Appeals, the Court of Civil Appeals and 77 District Courts.
In the event of a heavy caseload in a particular district, a special judge may be appointed to assist the district judge. If a seat is vacated, the governor appoints a judge to serve until the next election.
marks@edmondsun.com | 341-2121, ext. 108
