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Joe L. Heaton | |
|---|---|
| Senior Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma | |
| Assumed office July 1, 2019 | |
| Chief Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma | |
| In office November 25, 2015 – July 1, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Vicki Miles-LaGrange |
| Succeeded by | Timothy D. DeGiusti |
| Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma | |
| In office December 10, 2001 – July 1, 2019 | |
| Appointed by | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Ralph Gordon Thompson |
| Succeeded by | Bernard M. Jones |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1951-12-12)December 12, 1951 (age 73) Alva,Oklahoma |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | Northwestern Oklahoma State University (BA) University of Oklahoma College of Law (JD) |
Joe L. Heaton (born December 12, 1951) is aseniorUnited States district judge of theUnited States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma.[1]
Born inAlva,Oklahoma, Heaton received aBachelor of Arts degree fromNorthwestern Oklahoma State University in 1973 and aJuris Doctor from theUniversity of Oklahoma College of Law in 1976. He was a Legislative assistant to United States SenatorDewey F. Bartlett from 1976 to 1977. He was in private practice inOklahoma City, from 1977 to 1992 and from 1993 to 1996, also serving as an adjunct instructor at theUniversity of Central Oklahoma from 1980 to 1981 and from 1992 to 1993. Then he was elected as aRepublican to serve in theOklahoma House of Representatives as a state representative in 1984, and was re-elected three times, serving from 1985 to 1993. Next, Heaton was a specialAssistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney's Office, Western District of Oklahoma from 1992 to 1993. Following that, he was a First Assistant United States Attorney of the United States Attorney's Office, Western District of Oklahoma from 1996 to 2001.
On September 4, 2001, Heaton was nominated by PresidentGeorge W. Bush to a seat on theUnited States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma vacated byRalph Gordon Thompson. Heaton was confirmed by theUnited States Senate on December 6, 2001, and received his commission on December 10, 2001. He became Chief Judge on November 25, 2015. He assumedsenior status on July 1, 2019.
In 2008, Heaton ruled that theOklahoma Water Resources Board’s moratorium on out-of-state water sales applied not only to contracts as the Oklahoma Water Resources Board had argued but also to an application by Tarrant Regional Water District to buy water from theKiamichi River to meet the water needs of rapidly growingTarrant County and some adjacent areas in Texas.[2] The case would ultimately reach the Supreme Court, where Oklahoma’s ban on out-of-state water sales was unanimously upheld inTarrant Regional Water District, Petitioner v. Rudolf John Herrmann, et al..
In November 2012, Heaton ruled againstHobby Lobby in its bid not to be forced to provide emergency contraception to its employees. On July 19, 2013, he granted the company a preliminary injunction, barring HHS from enforcing the contraception mandate against Hobby Lobby and its affiliate Mardel Christian Bookstores.[3]
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma 2001–2019 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chief Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma 2015–2019 | Succeeded by |