Tulsa World
Retired Oklahoma County District Judge Kenneth Watson has been appointed to the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board.
He is an appointee of the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
Oklahoma Supreme Court Chief Justice John F. Reif on Friday said Watson’s service as a lawyer and judge, experience performing criminal defense work and standing in the community made him the perfect choice.
Watson, who retired from the bench late last year, is one of the founding members of the Oklahoma City Black Lawyers Association.
“I was very concerned that the Pardon and Parole Board reflect the racial diversity of not only the population, but of the prison population presenting their appeals for paroles to the board to be a racially balanced entity,” Reif said.
The governor has three appointees to the board, and the Oklahoma Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals each have one.
