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James R. Winchester
Justice, Oklahoma Supreme Court · District 5
Background: He was an attorney in private practice from 1977 to 1983, and a judge for Oklahoma's Sixth District from 1983 to 1997. In 1997 he became a U.S. Administrative Law Judge where he served until 2000 when he was appointed to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
At a glance
- Court
- Oklahoma Supreme Court
- Position / seat
- District 5
- Chief justice
- No
- How they joined the court
- Appointed by Gov. Frank Keating (R) (January 4, 2000); retained by voters in a retention election on November 8, 2022
- Appointed by
- Gov. Frank Keating (R)
- Appointment date
- January 4, 2000
- Took office
- 2000
- Current term ends
- January 7, 2029
- Next election or retention vote
- Not listed
- Last election
- November 8, 2022
- Party (as listed by Ballotpedia)
- Nonpartisan
- Ballotpedia partisanship estimate
- Mild Republican (2020 study of justices' pre-court partisan activity)
- Education
- Bachelor's: University of Oklahoma
- Law: Oklahoma City University School of Law, 1977
- Prior offices
- Not listed
- Profession
- Not listed
- How this court's justices are chosen
- Assisted appointment (Hybrid)A nominating commission screens candidates and sends a shortlist; the governor appoints from it. In many such states, justices later face yes/no retention elections.
Summary of facts listed on James R. Winchester’s Ballotpedia page (retrieved Oct 26, 2026) · Photo: Ballotpedia. “Not listed” means Ballotpedia didn’t list it in a form this site could read; check Ballotpedia for the latest.
No public decision data available for this court.