Okla. Stat. tit. 20, § 20-81
This is the official text of Okla. Stat. tit. 20, § 20-81, part of Oklahoma’s Stat. tit. 20, — part of the compiled statutory law of Oklahoma, published by the state as "Stat. tit. 20,." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
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Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation
Official statutory text
A. At the discretion of the Supreme Court, the Court may create
a Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. The panel may consist
of five (5) active judges selected by the Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court. The judges may be either judges of the district
court or appellate judges. The members of the panel shall serve at
the pleasure of the Chief Justice.
B. If there exist a sufficient number of cases to justify
consolidation and if the cases are at a comparable stage in the
litigation, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation may
transfer civil actions involving one or more common questions of
fact pending in the same or different district courts to any
district court for consolidated or coordinated proceedings, giving
due weight, consideration and preference to the district court
wherein the first civil action was filed.
C. If the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation finds that
the civil actions are not at comparable stages in the litigation,
the Panel may stay one or more of the actions pending resolution of
the common questions of fact in one of the other actions, giving due
weight, consideration and preference to the first civil action filed
and the action which has reached the furthest stage of litigation.
D. Nothing in this section shall expand the existing law as to
the binding effect of a court’s rulings in one of the actions to the
other actions prior to the date of consolidation or as to any case
that is stayed by the Panel.
E. A transfer or stay may be made by the Judicial Panel on
Multidistrict Litigation if the panel determines that the transfer
or stay shall:
1. Be for the convenience of the parties and witnesses; and
2. Promote the just and efficient conduct of actions giving due
weight and consideration to binding or nonbinding effects of prior
and future court rulings on the parties to the cases to be
consolidated or stayed.
F. A transfer or stay may be for the remainder of an action or
for any particular stage of an action.
G. A judge who is qualified and authorized by law to preside in
the court to which an action is transferred pursuant to this section
may preside over the transferred action as if the transferred action
were originally filed in that court.
H. The Supreme Court shall promulgate rules for the
implementation of this section.
a Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. The panel may consist
of five (5) active judges selected by the Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court. The judges may be either judges of the district
court or appellate judges. The members of the panel shall serve at
the pleasure of the Chief Justice.
B. If there exist a sufficient number of cases to justify
consolidation and if the cases are at a comparable stage in the
litigation, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation may
transfer civil actions involving one or more common questions of
fact pending in the same or different district courts to any
district court for consolidated or coordinated proceedings, giving
due weight, consideration and preference to the district court
wherein the first civil action was filed.
C. If the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation finds that
the civil actions are not at comparable stages in the litigation,
the Panel may stay one or more of the actions pending resolution of
the common questions of fact in one of the other actions, giving due
weight, consideration and preference to the first civil action filed
and the action which has reached the furthest stage of litigation.
D. Nothing in this section shall expand the existing law as to
the binding effect of a court’s rulings in one of the actions to the
other actions prior to the date of consolidation or as to any case
that is stayed by the Panel.
E. A transfer or stay may be made by the Judicial Panel on
Multidistrict Litigation if the panel determines that the transfer
or stay shall:
1. Be for the convenience of the parties and witnesses; and
2. Promote the just and efficient conduct of actions giving due
weight and consideration to binding or nonbinding effects of prior
and future court rulings on the parties to the cases to be
consolidated or stayed.
F. A transfer or stay may be for the remainder of an action or
for any particular stage of an action.
G. A judge who is qualified and authorized by law to preside in
the court to which an action is transferred pursuant to this section
may preside over the transferred action as if the transferred action
were originally filed in that court.
H. The Supreme Court shall promulgate rules for the
implementation of this section.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
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