Closed-door meeting held to discuss demoted judge

By Jennifer Pierce, News 9

A district judge was demoted recently allegedly over a letter he wrote about the possibility of a homosexual agenda within the Bench and Bar Committee.

Oklahoma County district judges held a closed door meeting Friday to discuss the possible consequences Judge Bill Graves could face.

Colleagues tried to convince Judge Vicki Robertson to reconsider her decision to take Graves off the criminal bench.

"About three weeks ago, Judge Vicki Robertson, presiding judge for the District Court of Oklahoma County, issued an order," said News 9 legal analyst Irven Box. "The order says that Judge Bill Graves, who has a criminal docket, removed him and placed him on a probate docket starting August 1."

The order was made shortly after Graves sent a letter to the Bench and Bar Committee stating his concern that the committee is making changes too much like the American Bar Association's code of judicial conduct. According to Graves, the ABA's code promotes a homosexual agenda.

"The reason for her removing him from the district judge docket and criminal docket or not remains to be seen," Box said.

The order worried some fellow criminal judges and attorneys. They've written letters to Robertson urging her to consider the legal problems his demotion will cause.

"It puts an extreme workload on the other judges and gives them about 400 or 500 extra cases," Box said. "There are thoughts it could cause people to not get to trial as early and to cause further problems with the criminal docket."

Graves currently has about 2,400 criminal cases. If demoted, the other judges will have to take on the workload.

Robertson's term as presiding judge ends December 31. Whoever then takes the position could put Graves back on the criminal docket.

Robertson made no comment about her decision.