The Honorable Terence C. Kern, Senior Judge Announces Retirement

I am announcing my retirement as a Senior United States District Judge and will take inactive status by the end of this year.

In 1994, after the recommendation of Sen. David Boren, President Bill Clinton nominated me, and the United States Senate confirmed my appointment by a vote of 93-0. My how times have changed!

June 9th of this year marks my twenty ninth year on the Federal bench. I have tried to time my retirement with the appointment of critically needed new judges, and it is my understanding that thanks to Senators Lankford and Mullin the process is well underway to fill our two vacancies.

These new judges are greatly needed to help our excellent district judges and magistrate judges deal with the largest criminal caseload in our court’s history.

I wish to thank the many wonderful law clerks and legal assistants for their hard work, commitment, service, and sacrifice during my tenure.

There are always highlights and a few disappointments in any judicial career, but I am most proud of the fact that I have tried numerous civil and criminal cases over the years and have had three cases affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court. Those affirmances include Falvo v. Owasso Independent School District; U.S. v. Haymond; and Bishop v. State of Oklahoma. My opinion striking down as unconstitutional the State of Oklahoma’s ban on same-sex marriage was affirmed in the Supreme Court case of Obergefell v. Hodges.

My favorite case is one in which all four of the billionaire Koch brothers were pitted against each other – two on two. The case took three months to try with over 250 witnesses and would have resulted in damages of $500 million but settled after the verdict.

Since taking the bench, I have served as a member of the Judicial Conference Committee on Security and Facilities, a member of the Committee on Space and Facilities, and chair of the Tenth Circuit Space and Facilities Committee. I served as Chief Judge of the Northern District of Oklahoma from 1996-2003.

Additional recognitions include Hall of Fame Inductee, Beta Theta Pi, Gamma Lambda Chapter, 2000; Leadership Legacy Award, Oklahoma State University, 2001; Distinguished Alumni Award, Oklahoma State University, 2001; Judge of the Year, Oklahoma Gang Investigators Association, 2007; Lion of the Bar Award, American Inns of Court, Council Oak-Johnson/Sontag Chapter, 2013; Judge of the Year Award, Oklahoma Association for Justice, 2014; Oklahoma State University, Hall of Fame, 2017; and American Board of Trial Advocates, Judge of the Year, 2020.

Memberships and leadership positions include President, Oklahoma Bar Foundation, 1991; President, American Inns of Court, Johnson/Sontag Chapter, 2008; Member and Fellow of Tulsa County Bar; and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation Board of Directors.