John F. Reif
| John F. Reif | |
|---|---|
| Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court | |
|
In office January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Tom Colbert |
| Succeeded by | Douglas L. Combs |
| Associate Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court | |
|
Assumed office October 22, 2007 | |
| Appointed by | Brad Henry |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 19, 1951 |
| Spouse(s) | Aylo Brewer Reif (m. 1973; d. 2008) |
| Residence | Skiatook, Oklahoma |
| Alma mater | University of Tulsa |
John F. Reif (born June 19, 1951)[1][2] is a Justice on the Oklahoma Supreme Court. He was appointed by Governor of Oklahoma Brad Henry on October 22, 2007,[1] filling a vacancy created by the retirement of former Justice Robert E. Lavender.[3] Justice Reif has completed a two-year term as Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. He was replaced December 1, 2016, by Justice Douglas Combs.
Prior to his appointment to the Oklahoma Supreme Court, Reif served on the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals for nearly two decades and as a special district judge.[1] He had retired from the court and was working as an adjunct professor at Oral Roberts University when he was appointed.[1]
Reif earned a law degree and a bachelor's degree at the University of Tulsa. He resides in Skiatook, Oklahoma with his wife.
Early life and career
Born on June 19, 1951, Reif graduated from Cascia Hall, a Roman Catholic school in Tulsa, and earned both his law and bachelor's degrees at the University of Tulsa, receiving the former in 1977.[1] From 1974 to 1977, he was employed providing planning and grant assistance to various law enforcement agencies in the Tulsa area, with funding provided by the Indian Nations Council of Governments (INCOG). He worked as a police officer in Owasso, Oklahoma in 1973-74. He served as the assistant district attorney for Tulsa County, Oklahoma after his graduation until he was appointed as Special District Judge to Oklahoma's Fourteenth Judicial District in Tulsa County, Oklahoma in 1981.[1][4]
Supreme Court Justice
Judge Reif was selected as Chief Justice for a two-year term, starting January 1, 2015. The court also elected Justice Douglas Combs of Shawnee as vice chief justice. Reif's predecessor, Tom Colbert, rotates out of the Chief Justice position.[5]
In November 2016, the Oklahoma Supreme Court voted in Justice Douglas Combs as the new Chief Justice on December 1, 2016, when Chief Justice Reif's two-year term expires. It also voted for Justice Noma Zurich to become the next Vice Chief Justice.[6]
Awards
- Oral Roberts University President’s Distinguished Service Award 1995;
- Oklahoma Bar Association (OBA) Earl Sneed Award in recognition of annual presentations at OBA-sponsored continuing legal education and community education programs over the past 30 years 2010
Professional organizations
- Oklahoma Bar Association 1978 to present
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Oklahoma State Court Network, "Supreme Court of Oklahoma," p. 8 (accessed June 23, 2010).
- ↑ "John F. Reif". NNDB. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
- ↑ Office of Governor Brad Henry, "Gov. Henry Appoints Reif to Supreme Court Archived 2008-01-03 at the Wayback Machine.," October 19, 2007 (accessed June 23, 2010).
- ↑ "Oklahoma Supreme Court Elects Chief Justice and Vice Chief Justice." Oklahoma Bar Association Press Release. 2016. Accessed December 30, 2016.
- ↑ "John Reif Elected To Serve As OK Supreme Court New Chief Justice." Associated Press. November 6, 2014. Accessed December 10, 2016
- ↑ "Oklahoma’s highest court elects Combs as new chief justice." KFOR.com, November 15,2016. Accessed December 30, 2016.