The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Monday issued an order setting a Nov. 12 date to hear oral arguments in the lawsuit filed by three state legislators seeking to remove Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett from voting on rate cases involving three major utilities.
Chief Justice M. John Kane IV signed the order stating that attorneys for Hiett and the three legislators who sued him, Reps. Tom Gann, Kevin West and Rick West, will have 30 minutes to present oral arguments at 2 p.m. on that Tuesday afternoon.
The order indicated the hearing will be held before all of the justices and they may ask questions during or after each argument.
The hearing will also be livestreamed and feature “real-time closed captions–displayed on the livestream.” The videos of the oral arguments before the Supreme Court may be made available for viewing for the convenience of the public by a link on the OSCN website.
Chief Justice Kane also gave attorneys for Hiett and the trio of legislators a deadline to file no later than, Tuesday, Oct. 29 a notice to the Court providing the name or names of any counsel who will be arguing the case.
The three legislators filed suit following public allegations that Hiett drunkenly groped a man at a hotel bar during a June national convention held in Minneapolis, Minnesotta. While Hiett publicly stated he did not remember the incident, it led to his admission of a drinking problem and declaration that he was undergoing treatment. It also prompted him to step down as chairman of the 3-member commission, but he refused to resign his office of Corporation Commissioner.
In the legal action taken by Reps. Gann and the two Wests, they contend that the victim of the groping might be an employee of one of the three major utilities seeking rate hikes—Oklahoma Gas & Electric, Public Service Co. of Oklahoma and Oklahoma Natural Gas Co. The victim of the reported incident has never gone public nor filed any report with police in Minnesota.
Below is the abbreviated order issued Monday afternoon:
| 4-2024 | ORAG |
JE: ETC CAUSE IS SET FOR ORAL ARGUMENT BEFORE CT EN BANC COMMINCING @ 2:00 PM ON TUESDAY, 11-12-24, IN CTRM OF SUP CT OF OKLA, LOCATED ON 2ND FL OF ST CAPITOL. PETRS W/HAVE 30 MINUTES TO PRESENT ORAL ARGUMENT. TH/AFTER, RSPNT W/HAVE 30 MINUTES TO PRESENT ORAL ARGUMENT. PETRS MAY RESERVE A PORTION OF TH/30 MINUTES FOR REBUTTAL. JUSTICES MAY ASK QUESTIONS DURING OR AFTER EACH ARGUMENT. EACH PARTY TO FILE, NLT TUESDAY 10-29-24, A NOTICE TO CT PROVIDING NAMES OF ANY PRO SE PARTY OR COUNSEL WH/WILL BE ARGUING CASE, ALLOCATION OF TH/ARGUMENT TIME, AND NAMES OF OTHER COUNSEL AT COUNSEL TABLE, IF APPLICABLE. ATTYS MAY SIT AT COUNSEL TABLE ONLY IF TH/HAVE ENTERED AN APPEARANCE IN CASE. ORAL ARGUMENT W/BE LIVESTREAMED, AND REAL-TIME CLOSED CAPTIONS W/BE DISPLAYED ON LIVESTREAM. VIDEOS AND CLOSED CAPTIONS ARE NOT A PART OF OFFICIAL REC IN CASE, AND TRANSCRIPTS W/NOT BE CREATED. VIDEOS OF ORAL ARGUMENTS BEFORE OKLA SUP CT MAY BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING FOR CONVENIENCE OF PULIC BY A LINK ON OSCN WEBSITE. VIDEOS MAY BE REMOVED 1 YR AFTER DATE OF TH/ORAL ARGUMENT. COPIES OF TH/VIDEOS SH/NOT BE PRODUCED OR DISTRIBUTED BY ADM OFFICE OF CTS OR OTHER CT PERSONNEL. C/ATTYS |
