Lawmakers Draft Resolution To Push Cleveland County Judge Out Of Office

Gan Matthews, News 9

NORMAN, Oklahoma -- Two state lawmakers have joined the effort to remove a Cleveland County judge from office.

In March, Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn asked District Judge Tom Lucas to remove himself from all cases being prosecuted by the D.A.'s office.

Read: District Attorney Wants Cleveland County Judge Removed From All Cases

In court papers obtained by News 9, Mashburn said Judge Lucas has stated on record that he has an objection to the child abuse murder laws and has complained about the limited sentencing range for child abuse murder. Judge Lucas suspended all but 17 years of a life sentence for Jonathan Trask, a man convicted of the death of his infant daughter.

Mashburn also claimed that Judge Lucas had tried to hinder an investigation into his grandson, who was accused of child abuse.

Lucas denied the motion to remove him from all Cleveland County cases.

Now state House members Mike Reynolds (R-Oklahoma City) and Mike Ritze (R-Broken Arrow) have filed House Resolution 1024, which seeks to have the Oklahoma Court on the Judiciary remove Lucas from the bench because of gross partiality in office.

"We have found information that Judge Lucas in Cleveland County is acting without what we feel like is common sense and propriety," Ritze said.

News 9 tried to speak Judge Lucas, but he said it would be improper for him to comment on either the House resolution or the D.A.'s motion. No calendar date has been set for the House to vote on Reynolds' and Ritze's resolution.