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.

NORMAN — Kip Lewis must have something against the state of Alabama. 

In September, he sealed Oklahoma’s unlikely comeback victory over Auburn with a Pick Six. 

Saturday night, he repeated his heroics — this time to bury the No. 7-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. 

With Alabama down 17-3 and needing a score to get back into the game, Jalen Milroe didn’t see Lewis. 

The OU linebacker didn’t care. 

He snatched the ball out of the way and outraced the Crimson Tide 49 yards the other way, stepping over a Milroe half-hearted tackle attempt en route to the end zone. 

“(They) came out of a formation that we’ve been studying all week, and Coach (Zac) Alley had everybody prepared, nailing us down with the details,” Lewis said after the win. “And so I read my keys, did what I was supposed to, and I was proud that he threw, because I was like, ‘What if I’m standing right here?’ But you know, just finishing and making sure I get to the end zone after I caught it.”

Lewis and the Sooners never looked back, as the Pick Six put the exclamation point on the 24-3 win. 

The redshirt sophomore burst onto the scene last year for Oklahoma by playing a crucial part in the goal line stand against Texas. 

Then in his first year as an established starter, Lewis has delivered in both of OU’s SEC wins. 

And while he turns it on every Saturday, Lewis said the interceptions never come his way in practice. 

“I drop (passes) in practice a lot,” Lewis said with a smile. “I drop ’em a lot, and I just say, ‘Hey guys, look, in a game, it’s a catch, don’t worry.’ That’s what I tell them all the time.”

Alley confirmed Lewis’ struggles to hold onto the ball during practice, but praised the growth the young linebacker has shown to play a key role at the heart of Oklahoma’s defense. 

“I don’t know; he dropped them in pregame too,” Alley said with a smirk. “I think when the lights come on, he’s a different dude. He’s a true gamer. There’s not a lot of those guys. He’s a good practice player, no doubt about it, but man, when the lights are on and the stage is bright and matter, he’s at his best when it matters the most.”

The interception from Lewis wasn’t the only contribution from the Sooners’ front seven. 

They held Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe to just seven rushing yards, and OU’s defensive line and linebackers dictated play at the point of attack. 

Lewis finished with no tackles, but he and fellow linebacker Danny Stutsman disrupted everything the Crimson Tide tried to do. 

“I’m so proud of them. And the other guys like Kip,” Stutsman said. “Comes up big with a huge play. Just proud of him.”

Partly thanks to Lewis’ contributions, the Sooners are now bowl eligible. 

Oklahoma will be able to utilize those extra practices to continue to develop and be better prepared headed into 2025. 

But for now, Lewis was just happy he could help deliver OU coach a signature win and send the seniors out in style. 

“It’s really good. Just building momentum into going into next year, I think it’s gonna really say what this team is,” Lewis said. “Just some hard, gritty fighting team that’s never gonna quit, never gonna give up. A lot of people counted us out this season and thought we should just write it off. And so we had other plans.”

This week on the Oklahoma Ford Sports Blitz, Dean Blevins, John Holcomb, and Chris Williams begin the show with their opening takes.

Sunday, November 24th 2024, 11:17 pm

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OKLAHOMA CITY –

This week on the Oklahoma Ford Sports Blitz, Dean Blevins, John Holcomb, and Chris Williams begin the show with their opening takes.

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