White v. Stitt

Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down law creating new business courts in the state’s two most populous counties. Held that, because the law establishes the business courts as a division within the counties’ district courts, the appointment process for the judges violates a state constitutional provision requiring district judges to be elected by voters. Alternatively, if the actual intent of the law was to create a distinct court, the state constitution does not give the legislature authority to vest judicial power in new courts other than intermediate appellate or municipal courts.