Gov. Brad Henry has appointed Don Work, of Woodward, to the position of Associate District Court Judge in Woodward County.

Work, who has been practicing law for more than 30 years and who has served as an assistant district attorney in Woodward County since 2002, will be sworn into his new role at 9 a.m. today.

Work is replacing former associate district judge Joseph Marak, who retired at the end of last year after serving on the bench for 24 years in Woodward County.

After he is sworn in, Work will immediately begin hearing cases.

However, because of his previous position as a Woodward County prosecutor there are a number of ongoing cases that Work will be unable to hear.

“We will still have to have other associate judges come in until we sort through everything,” Work said, noting that another prosecutor will also have to take over the cases as well.

Although his appointment to the judgeship was not officially announced until Tuesday, Work said he learned of it late Monday afternoon when he received a phone call from the governor himself.

“It was exciting,” he said of the phone call. “I was glad to hear from him (Henry).”

In a press release, Henry was quoted as saying, “for many years, Don Work has capably and admirably served the citizens of Woodward County and the State of Oklahoma and I know he will continue to build on that legacy of service in his new position.”

Even though Work is “excited about the new challenge and look(s) forward to the opportunity to be of service to the people of Woodward County,” he said the appointment is also a humbling experience.

“It’s a humbling deal because I know the associate judge position has a lot of impact on the lives of people in Woodward County and there’s a lot of responsibility involved,” he said.

“I will do my darndest to be a good judge for Woodward County,” Work said.

Trending Video