Appointed by David Walters Succeeded by James R. Winchester Name Joseph Watt | Alma mater Texas Tech University Preceded by Rudolph Hargrave | |
Born March 8, 1947 (age 77)
Austin, Texas ( 1947-03-08 ) Education Texas Tech University, University of Texas at Austin | ||
Joseph M. Watt (born March 8, 1947) is a Justice on the Oklahoma Supreme Court, who assume the post in 1992. He was reelected in 1994, 1996, and 2002. From 2003 to 2007, he served two terms as Chief Justice. In 2005, he was reelected to an unprecedented second term as Chief Justice, despite a federal age discrimination lawsuit filed by the Court's then-Vice Chief Justice Marian P. Opala, then 83 years old, who claimed Supreme Court rules were changed to prevent him from becoming Chief Justice.
Early life
Watt was born in Austin, Texas and graduated from high school there in 1965. In 1969, he earned a bachelor's degree majoring in history and government from Texas Tech University. He earned his J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1972. A year later, he moved to Altus, Oklahoma, working in private practice until his appointment as the Altus city attorney in 1980, serving in that capacity until his appointment as a Special District Judge for Jackson County, Oklahoma in 1985. The following year, he was elected as an Associate Judge, serving in that capacity until 1991. From 1991 until his appointment to the state Supreme Court, he served as General Counsel in the Office of Oklahoma Governor David Walters. He is married to Cathy Watt, and has four children, and three grandchildren.