SB 766 Summary

• Establishes comprehensive judicial conduct standards for Oklahoma judges, including duties to respect law, act impartially, and maintain public confidence in the judiciary.

• Prohibits judges from allowing family, social, or political relationships to influence judicial decisions, and prevents judges from practicing law except providing legal advice to family members without compensation.

• Requires judges to perform adjudicative duties without bias or prejudice based on race, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status; restricts ex parte communications except for scheduling, administrative, or emergency matters.

• Regulates judges' extrajudicial activities including restrictions on government positions, charitable organization service, financial dealings, and fiduciary roles to prevent conflicts of interest and preserve judicial impartiality.

• Creates different compliance standards for part-time and retired judges, and requires immediate compliance upon the act's effective date of November 1, 2015.