Thad H. Balkman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the OklahomaHouseofRepresentatives from the 45 district | |
| In office 2000–2006 | |
| Preceded by | Wallace Collins |
| Succeeded by | Wallace Collins |
Thad H. Balkman (born October 23,1971) is an American politician,lawyer and judge.
Thad H. Balkman | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Member of the OklahomaHouseofRepresentatives from the 45 district | |
| In office 2000–2006 | |
| Preceded by | Wallace Collins |
| Succeeded by | Wallace Collins |
Thad H. Balkman (born October 23,1971) is an American politician,lawyer and judge.
Balkman grew up as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with his family in Long Beach,California,attending Long Beach Polytechnic High School. [1] [2] His home in Long Beach was the house used as the titular character's home in Ferris Bueller's Day Off . [3] He attended Brigham Young University,where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1994. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1998. [4] [5]
In 1998,Balkman started his legal career at the Stanley Ward Law Offices in Norman,a small private practice where he practiced employment law. [6] Balkman then served as General Counsel for the Association of Professional Oklahoma Educators from 2001 to 2002. [7] Balkman continued his legal career with Lee and Wells Law Firm where he continued to practice employment law. He then worked as General Counsel and Vice President of External Relations for Phoenix Motorcars,an electric vehicle startup company. In that capacity he testified before the United States Senate Energy Committee. [8] [9] He worked for the law firm that represented 1996 Republican candidate Steve Byas,who sued incumbent Oklahoma House of Representatives member Wallace Collins for libel. [2] [10] Balkman campaigned for Eric Hawkins in 1998,who lost to Collins. [11] . In September 2023,The American Law Institute announced that Balkman had been elected to the Institute. [12]
Balkman won the Republican nomination for District 45 of the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2000,running against John English and Randy Boyd, [13] and defeated Collins in the general election. [11] Balkman faced Collins for a second time in 2002,and retained his seat. [2] [14] Two years later,he faced Estelle Cash,and won a third legislative term. [15] Balkman was subsequently named leader of the House Republican Caucus and the Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Health and Social Services. [16] Balkman was a member of the Conference Committee that wrote Oklahoma's 2003 Tort Reform law,and was appointed to serve as a member of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. He was voted out of office in 2006,and succeeded by Collins. [14]
In October 2013,Governor Mary Fallin appointed Balkman to the district court based in Cleveland County,where he succeeded justice Tom Lucas. [17] [18] Balkman took office on November 1,2013. [19] [20] He won a full term on the bench in 2014 and a second term in 2018. [4] Balkman is the President of the Oklahoma Judges Association. [21]
In the biggest case of his career,he heard "the opioid trial",in which the State of Oklahoma sued the pharmaceutical company Johnson &Johnson,accusing them of pushing opioid drugs in the state. On August 26,2019,Balkman found Johnson &Johnson responsible for creating a "public nuisance" under state law,saying that the company's "misleading marketing and promotion of opioids created a nuisance" and that it "compromised the health and safety of thousands of Oklahomans." [1] He ordered the company to pay a fine of $572 million. It was the first such judgment in the nation. The company said they will appeal. [22]
He was awarded the "Sunshine Award" by Freedom of Information Oklahoma for allowing press and cameras into the courtroom during "the opioid trial." [23]
On November 9,2021,the Oklahoma Supreme Court overturned Balkman's verdict against Johnson &Johnson in a 5-1 decision. [24] The Court's opinion states that Balkman "erred in extending [Oklahoma's] public nuisance statute to the manufacturing,marketing,and selling of prescription opioids." The Court's ruling also notes that Balkman "[stepped] into the shoes of the legislature by creating and funding government programs designed to address social and health issues" in an "unprecedented expansion of public nuisance law." [25] While still involved in litigation with other states,it is now unlikely Johnson &Johnson will pay any money to the State of Oklahoma for its past manufacturing and marketing of opioids.
Balkman was the executive director of the Oklahoma 100 Ideas project in 2007–2008. [26] He co-founded the Oklahoma branch of the Brigham Young University Management Society in 2009. [27] He later became executive director of the Oklahoma Lawyers Association. [28] In May 2020 Balkman was a speaker at the Oklahoma National Day of Prayer Event. [29] Balkman served as the Boy Scouts of America Assistant Scoutmaster and Chairman of the Sooner District. [30] He was also inducted in the Child Advocates Hall of Fame by the Oklahoma Institute of Child Advocacy. [31]
Balkman is married to Amy,with whom he has five children. [17] [19] He also served as a bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. [20]
Brigham Young University is a private research university in Provo,Utah,United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 American teen comedy film written,co-produced,and directed by John Hughes and co-produced by Tom Jacobson. The film stars Matthew Broderick,Mia Sara,and Alan Ruck,with supporting roles from Jennifer Grey,Jeffrey Jones,Cindy Pickett,Edie McClurg,and Lyman Ward. It tells the story of a high school slacker,Ferris,who skips school with his best friend,Cameron,and his girlfriend,Sloane,for a day in Chicago,and regularly breaks the fourth wall to explain his techniques and inner thoughts.
Jeffrey Duncan Jones is an American character actor,best known for his roles as Emperor Joseph II in Amadeus (1984),Edward R. Rooney in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986),Charles Deetz in Beetlejuice (1988),Dr. Skip Tyler in The Hunt for Red October (1990),Eddie Barzoon in The Devil's Advocate (1997),and A. W. Merrick in both Deadwood (2004–2006) and Deadwood:The Movie (2019). His career started in Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis,Minnesota,and advanced to London and Broadway. In film and television,Jones has had many roles which capitalized on his deadpan portrayal of characters in unusual situations,often to comic effect. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his performance in Amadeus and a Screen Actors Guild Award as part of the ensemble cast of Deadwood.
The J. Reuben Clark Law School is the graduate law school of Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo,Utah. Founded in 1973,the school is named after J. Reuben Clark,a former U.S. Ambassador,Undersecretary of State,and general authority of the institution's sponsoring organization,The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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Mike Turner is an American Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma.
Guard Wayne Young is a retired American gymnast. He is a three-time member of the U.S. gymnastics team at the World Championships,and contributed to a silver medal in the men's team competition in 2001. Three years later,at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens,Young helped his U.S. squad to earn a silver medal in the same program,a best finish since 1984. During his college career,Young has earned six All-American and two NCAA titles in the men's vault. In 2010,Young was inducted to the sports hall of fame by the Brigham Young University.
The 2014 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season,the 120th season of Sooner football. The team was led by two-time Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award winner,Bob Stoops,in his 16th season as head coach. They played their home games at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman,Oklahoma. They were a member of the Big 12 Conference.
The 2018 Oklahoma gubernatorial election was held on November 6,2018. Businessman Kevin Stitt was elected governor,succeeding fellow Republican Mary Fallin,who was term-limited. Primary elections occurred on June 26,2018,with primary runoff elections having occurred on August 28,2018.
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