263:
appointed him to the state
Supreme Court the following year, he served as General Counsel in the Office of the Governor. During his tenure on the state supreme court, he served as justice for the 9th Judicial District covering Harmon, Greer, Kiowa, Caddo, Canadian, Comanche, Jackson, Tillman and
264:
Cotton counties. Voters re-elected him to the state supreme court in 1994, 1996 and 2002. He also served as Vice-Chief
Justice in 2001 and 2002. His colleagues on the court elected him as chief justice for the 2003-2004 term, followed by a second consecutive term in 2005.
399:
424:
207:, then 83 years old, who claimed Supreme Court rules were changed to prevent Opala from becoming chief justice. Justice Watt sent a letter to Governor
429:
284:
Little has been published about Watt's private life, except that he is married to Cathy Watt, and has four children, and three grandchildren.
434:
419:
409:
255:
until his appointment as the Altus city attorney in 1980, serving in that capacity until his appointment as a
Special District Judge for
414:
236:
172:
259:
in 1985. The following year, he was elected as an
Associate Judge, serving in that capacity until 1991. From 1991 until Governor
20:
354:
195:, who assumed the post in 1992. He was reelected in 1994, 1996, and 2002. From 2003 to 2007, he served two terms as
247:
National
Honorary Leadership. After being admitted to practice law in both Oklahoma and Texas in 1973, he moved to
404:
338:
256:
301:
211:
on
October 2, 2017, stating that he would retire from the Oklahoma Supreme Court effective December 31, 2017.
316:
394:
192:
86:
42:
228:
168:
389:
224:
244:
121:
199:. In 2005, he was reelected to an unprecedented second term as Chief Justice, despite a federal
109:
342:
252:
248:
240:
204:
276:
announcing his intention to retire from active judicial service on
December 31, 2017.
383:
260:
220:
196:
152:
77:
65:
232:
239:
in 1972. In 1972, he was also named
Outstanding Law Student in the Nation by the
273:
208:
163:
374:
335:
243:
Law
Fraternity, and was elected to the University of Texas Circle of
200:
223:
and graduated from Austin High School in 1965. In 1969, he earned a
355:
Faught, Jamison. "OK Supreme Court
Justice Joseph Watt to Retire."
188:
156:
272:
On October 2, 2017, Justice Watt sent a letter to Governor
203:
lawsuit filed by the Court's then-Vice Chief Justice
162:
136:
131:
115:
103:
83:
71:
59:
39:
28:
336:"Joseph M. Watt." Oklahoma Civil Justice Council.
8:
400:Chief justices of the Oklahoma Supreme Court
99:January 8, 2003 – January 11, 2007
25:
55:May 18, 1992 – December 31, 2017
425:University of Texas School of Law alumni
227:majoring in history and government from
19:For other people named Joseph Watt, see
331:
329:
327:
325:
306:. Marquis Who's Who. 1994. p. 966.
293:
7:
303:Who's Who in American Law, 1994-1995
14:
237:University of Texas School of Law
187:(born March 8, 1947) is a former
173:University of Texas School of Law
375:Oklahoma Supreme Court Biography
1:
430:20th-century American lawyers
435:21st-century American judges
420:Texas Tech University alumni
21:Joseph Watt (disambiguation)
410:People from Altus, Oklahoma
361:Accessed November 20, 2017.
319:Accessed November 20, 2017.
451:
415:Lawyers from Austin, Texas
345:Accessed January 15, 2018.
317:Joseph Watts's Biography."
18:
178:
127:
92:
48:
35:
257:Jackson County, Oklahoma
215:Early life and education
193:Oklahoma Supreme Court
87:Oklahoma Supreme Court
43:Oklahoma Supreme Court
229:Texas Tech University
169:Texas Tech University
84:Chief Justice of the
245:Omicron Delta Kappa
185:Joseph Michael Watt
122:James R. Winchester
359:. October 2, 2017.
341:2018-06-13 at the
201:age discrimination
357:Muskogee Politico
225:bachelor's degree
219:Watt was born in
182:
181:
442:
405:Oklahoma lawyers
362:
352:
346:
333:
320:
314:
308:
307:
298:
253:private practice
231:. He earned his
150:
146:
144:
132:Personal details
118:
110:Rudolph Hargrave
106:
97:
74:
62:
53:
26:
450:
449:
445:
444:
443:
441:
440:
439:
380:
379:
371:
366:
365:
353:
349:
343:Wayback Machine
334:
323:
315:
311:
300:
299:
295:
290:
282:
270:
249:Altus, Oklahoma
241:Delta Theta Phi
217:
205:Marian P. Opala
151:
148:
142:
140:
116:
104:
98:
93:
85:
72:
60:
54:
49:
41:
31:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
448:
446:
438:
437:
432:
427:
422:
417:
412:
407:
402:
397:
392:
382:
381:
378:
377:
370:
369:External links
367:
364:
363:
347:
321:
309:
292:
291:
289:
286:
281:
278:
269:
266:
216:
213:
180:
179:
176:
175:
166:
160:
159:
138:
134:
133:
129:
128:
125:
124:
119:
113:
112:
107:
101:
100:
90:
89:
81:
80:
75:
69:
68:
63:
57:
56:
46:
45:
40:Justice of the
37:
36:
33:
32:
30:Joseph M. Watt
29:
16:American judge
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
447:
436:
433:
431:
428:
426:
423:
421:
418:
416:
413:
411:
408:
406:
403:
401:
398:
396:
395:Living people
393:
391:
388:
387:
385:
376:
373:
372:
368:
360:
358:
351:
348:
344:
340:
337:
332:
330:
328:
326:
322:
318:
313:
310:
305:
304:
297:
294:
287:
285:
279:
277:
275:
267:
265:
262:
261:David Walters
258:
254:
251:, working in
250:
246:
242:
238:
234:
230:
226:
222:
221:Austin, Texas
214:
212:
210:
206:
202:
198:
197:Chief Justice
194:
190:
186:
177:
174:
170:
167:
165:
161:
158:
154:
149:(age 77)
147:March 8, 1947
139:
135:
130:
126:
123:
120:
114:
111:
108:
102:
96:
91:
88:
82:
79:
78:Richard Darby
76:
70:
67:
66:David Walters
64:
58:
52:
47:
44:
38:
34:
27:
22:
356:
350:
312:
302:
296:
283:
271:
218:
184:
183:
117:Succeeded by
94:
73:Succeeded by
61:Appointed by
50:
390:1947 births
274:Mary Fallin
209:Mary Fallin
105:Preceded by
384:Categories
288:References
268:Retirement
164:Alma mater
143:1947-03-08
235:from the
95:In office
51:In office
339:Archived
191:of the
189:Justice
280:Family
153:Austin
157:Texas
233:J.D.
137:Born
386::
324:^
171:,
155:,
145:)
141:(
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.