Oklahoma
Put out of office by voters, Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice has no regrets • Oklahoma Voice
OKLAHOMA CITY – Yvonne Kauger’s interpretation of the law and the paths she’s blazed outside the courtroom have shaped the foundation of Oklahoma’s justice system for decades.
When the 87-year-old retires Dec. 1, she’ll collectively be the longest serving Oklahoma Supreme Court justice and staff attorney.
She’ll also be the first Oklahoma Supreme Court justice in state history to not be retained by voters following a dark money campaign that targeted her as a liberal judge and as being too old.
But being first isn’t new to Kauger.
She was the first female staff attorney at the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
Gov. George Nigh appointed her to the Oklahoma Supreme Court in 1984, two years after he appointed the first female justice, the late Alma Wilson.
Kauger has spent 52 years working for the state’s highest court as either a judge or staff attorney.
Cases before the court ranged from the constitutionality of laws, taxes, abortion access and tribal issues, to name a few.
The same year as her appointment to the bench, she was adopted by the Cheyenne Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma on sacred tribal ground in Colony. Her family has deep ties to the tribe.
“It’s more of an honorary position, but I was the first person since statehood to be adopted by the Cheyenne Arapaho,” Kauger said.
Kauger has no Native American blood, but always wanted to be an Indian, she said.
In 1987, she co-founded Red Earth, which features Native American culture, art and dancers.
The following year, she founded the Sovereignty Symposium. The national legal conference held in Oklahoma City educates people about tribal sovereignty and government.
She is known for asking tough and direct questions from those who appeared before the court during oral arguments and not letting attorneys off easy when they can’t answer.
Former Oklahoma Chief Justice Steven Taylor introduced her when she was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
“No living Oklahoman has influenced the course of the law in our state more than Justice Yvonne Kauger,” Taylor said.
He said she guards the institutional foundation of the state’s highest court.
Chief Justice M. John Kane IV said he will be sad to lose her as a colleague.
“Her toughness, her kindness, her vision have been an institution in our court for my entire career,” said Kane, who was appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt in 2019.
Kauger has vivid and mostly fond memories of her childhood in Colony and young adult years. She played basketball in high school. She still has the faded newspapers showing her modeling the latest fashions when she was younger. She lost her sister in a plane crash as a young adult.
Kauger put herself through the Oklahoma City University School of Law, graduating first in her class in 1969.
She was instrumental in creating the online case tracking system for the state’s courts and transforming the old Wiley Post building that then housed the Oklahoma Historical Society into the Judicial Center.
Not being retained has advantages for Kauger, who plans to write at least two books and start a docent program for the Judicial Center, where she was instrumental in picking out the artwork.
“This is the most wonderful building and has one of the best Indian art collections,” said Kauger, who can see the state’s court building from her nearby home across the street from the Capitol. “We’ve told the history of the state through the art.”
Her Taos Pueblo-style home, including the garage, is filled with art, whether it is paintings or sculptures. She is also an artist.
“I call it a new beginning,” Kauger said. “That iron curtain has dropped. I don’t bear a grudge. Sometimes I think it’s serendipitous because I probably would have never quit.”
Kauger has a tradition.
After every retention ballot, she purchases something for herself.
After one retention election, it was living room furniture. One year it was a car. This year, it was a zero-gravity heat massage chair.
Kauger said she has no regrets about anything she has done. She said the job of the court is to follow the law based on the facts, regardless of what some might believe.
“Do right. Fear not,” is a motto she lives by.
Despite racking up an impressive list of firsts, honors and awards, Kauger said that is not her legacy.
“My legacy is my family,” she said, referring to daughter Jonna Kirschner, two grandchildren and a great grandson.
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Construction has officially begun on Oklahoma City’s new MAPS 4 Multipurpose Stadium.
Oklahoma City Leaders broke ground Monday afternoon on the site. The stadium, designed by Populous, will serve as the future home of Oklahoma City’s professional soccer teams and a United Football League franchise.
Officials said the venue will also host concerts, youth sports, graduations, and other community events.
“Today’s stadium groundbreaking reflects a city that is relentlessly investing in itself,” Mayor David Holt said. “We are perhaps the only top 50 city to lack a multipurpose stadium, and it’s kept us from opportunities in soccer and music, as well as in minor league football, collegiate and high school sports. In 2019, we decided to address that need. And even before we broke ground, we were already seeing new opportunities present themselves. We are also seeing this project become a catalyst for the parcel around it, which promises to develop into a vibrant new mixed-use district in the heart of our city. This MAPS 4 project continues our city’s incredibly successful philosophy. When we invest in our city, we always reap rewards.”
The project is expected to become a major hub for sports and entertainment in downtown Oklahoma City.
City leaders break ground on MAPS 4 multipurpose stadium in downtown Oklahoma City (Photo: City of OKC)
“This stadium will serve as far more than a sports and entertainment venue; it will be a community hub and a catalyst for a bold new cultural district in downtown Oklahoma City,” said Christian Kanady, founder and CEO of Echo Investment Capital. “As the future home of our professional soccer club, it will also host concerts, events, and gatherings that bring people together and deliver on our promise to create meaningful experiences for our fans, partners, and community. This project reflects Oklahoma City’s continued investment and its future, and we’re proud to partner with the City of Oklahoma City on such a transformational vision.”
The stadium will be operated by Echo and their professional sports platform, and built in partnership with Russell Westbrook, Nick Gross, the Chickasa Nation, Poulous, Fields and Futures, and Robison Park.
“The MAPS 4 Multipurpose Stadium is an investment in the future of Oklahoma City and the talent pipeline for our youth,” Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Jamie C. Polk said. “This world-class venue will bring our community together while giving students a place to compete, perform, celebrate graduation, and dream bigger about their future right here at home.”
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Oklahoma isn’t done yet.
The Sooners’ bats kept them in the Atlanta Regional with an emphatic showing in the Atlanta Regional on Sunday.
Deiten LaChance’s grand slam highlighted OU’s eight-run fourth inning, which turned Sunday’s contest against No. 2-overall seed Georgia Tech on its head.
Prior to the fourth, it looked as if it was going to be the Yellow Jackets’ night.
The hosts plated five runs in the third inning to take a 7-2 lead, and a call went against OU in the bottom of the third.
How to Watch Oklahoma vs. Georgia Tech in the Atlanta Regonal Final
- When: Monday, June 1
- Time: 2 p.m.
- Channel: ESPNU
Trey Gambill had snaked a single through the Georgia Tech infield to plate a run and cut the lead down with two outs, but just before the pitch was thrown, the third base umpire raised his arm to indicate there had been a pitch clock violation.
Lucky to have just gotten out of the situation with a ball, Yellow Jacket pitcher Jackson Blakely struck Gambill out, which understandably did not go over well in Oklahoma’s dugout.
The setback only galvanized Skip Johnson’s Sooners, however.
OU responded by sending 11 batters to the plate in the bottom of the fourth, and the Sooners took a 10-8 lead.
It was an advantage they never relented.
Oklahoma added an insurance run in the seventh and four more in the eighth to ensure that the Sooners would head back to the team hotel with a decisive Game 7 of the Atlanta Regional on the mind.
Johnson will have a big choice to make in who starts the do-or-die contest on Monday afternoon (2 p.m., ESPNU).
In OU’s first game against The Citadel on Sunday, Johnson rolled with freshman Nick Wesloski.
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He pitched seven innings to get the Sooners into Sunday night’s contest against Georgia Tech. Oklahoma’s big offensive showing against the Bulldogs meant that Johnson could make any choice necessary in relief, so he threw Reid Hensley and Jaden Barfield for an inning each to seal the win.
Against the Yellow Jackets, OU started Cameron Johnson. He faced just three batters, allowing two runs on two hits, before Oklahoma turned to Jackson Cleveland.
Cleveland tossed three innings in relief. OU also used two innings of Gavyn Jones and LJ Mercurius picked up a save by pitching four innings on Sunday night.
The winner between Monday’s battle will meet 15-seed Kansas in next weekend’s Super Regionals. Georgia Tech would host the Jayhawks with a win, whereas the Sooners would head to Lawrence next weekend if they are able to oust the top seed left in the NCAA Tournament.
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Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
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