Bernard M. Jones

Bernard Maurice Jones II (born 1979)[1] is a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma and a former United States magistrate judge of the same court.

Bernard M. Jones
Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
Assumed office
December 31, 2019
Appointed byDonald Trump
Preceded byJoe L. Heaton
United States Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
In office
July 31, 2015 – December 31, 2019
Personal details
Born
Bernard Maurice Jones II

1979 (age 41–42)
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
EducationSouthern Methodist University (B.A.)
Notre Dame Law School (J.D.)

Early life and education

Jones was born in northeast Oklahoma City[2] and earned his Bachelor of Arts from Southern Methodist University and his Juris Doctor from Notre Dame Law School.[3]

Jones was in private practice, where he focused on commercial and labor and employment law, first at Porter Wright Morris & Arthur, LLP in Columbus, Ohio, and later in the Oklahoma City office of McAfee & Taft.[3]

State court service

In 2012, he was appointed as a District Judge for Oklahoma's Seventh Judicial District, where he presided over the family and domestic relations and civil dockets and oversaw the District's Drug Court and Mental Health Court programs.[3][4]

A case Jones presided over drew national attention in 2014 when he ultimately denied a request by an Oklahoma school district to replay a high school football game that was allegedly botched by referees, noting that it was not up to the court to intervene in such a decision.[5]

Federal judicial service

United States magistrate judge service

Jones was appointed as a United States Magistrate Judge in 2015.[3] He was sworn into office on August 17, 2015.[6] He was the first African American to be appointed to this position in the state of Oklahoma.[2]

District court service

On October 2, 2019, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Jones to serve as a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. On October 17, 2019, his nomination was sent to the Senate. Jones was nominated to the seat vacated by Judge Joe L. Heaton, who took senior status on July 1, 2019.[7] On October 30, 2019, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[8] Oklahoma Senators James Lankford and Jim Inhofe released a statement supporting Jones' nomination.[9] On November 21, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 19–3 vote.[10] On December 18, 2019, the United States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a vote of 88–5.[11] On December 19, 2019, his nomination was confirmed by a vote of 91–3.[12] He received his judicial commission on December 31, 2019.

References
  1. United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Bernard Jones
  2. "Judge Bernard M. Jones to deliver 2016 IRA D. Hall and Rubye Hibler Hall Endowed Lecture Series". Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  3. "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees" White House, October 2, 2019 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. "Gov. Fallin Appoints Bernard Jones to Oklahoma County Judicial Post". www.ok.gov. September 17, 2012. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  5. "Trump Judicial Pick Would Add to Majority in Oklahoma District (1)". Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  6. @govmaryfallin (August 17, 2015). "Congrats to my friend, Judge Bernard Jones, on being sworn into the US District Court for the Western District of OK" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. "Eighteen Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, October 17, 2019
  8. United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for October 30, 2019
  9. "Lankford, Inhofe Applaud Nomination of Oklahoma City Judge" (Press release). Oklahoma City. October 3, 2019. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  10. Results of Executive Business Meeting – November 21, 2019, Senate Judiciary Committee
  11. "U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 116th Congress - 1st Session". www.senate.gov. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
  12. "U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 116th Congress - 1st Session". www.senate.gov. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
Legal offices
Preceded by
Joe L. Heaton		 Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
2019–present		 Incumbent
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