Marian P. Opala
Marian Peter Opala | |
|---|---|
| Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, 3rd District | |
| In office 1978–2010 | |
| Appointed by | David Boren |
| Succeeded by | Noma Gurich |
| Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court | |
| In office 1991–1992 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 20, 1921 Łódź, Poland |
| Died | October 11, 2010 (aged 89) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States |
| Nationality | Polish-American |
| Children | Joseph Opala |
| Alma mater | New York University Law School |
 |
|---|
Marian Peter Opala (January 20, 1921 – October 11, 2010) was a
Early life and World War II service
Opala was born in
Capture and subsequent liberation
In 1944, Opala was captured by German forces in the
U.S. immigration and education
Captain Warr helped Opala get a job as a translator for U.S. forces in
Early legal career
Opala served as Administrative Director of the
Oklahoma Supreme Court service
Opala was appointed to the Oklahoma Supreme Court's District 3 seat by Governor David Boren in 1978, and was retained by the voters in 1980, 1982, 1988, 1994, 2000 and 2006. He served as the Court's Chief Justice from 1991 to 1992 and again from 2000 to 2002. In 2000, Opala was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Throughout his career he was known as a strong advocate of First Amendment to the United States Constitution rights, a commitment he attributes to his experiences as a youth in Nazi-occupied Poland. A group called Freedom of Information Oklahoma presents the Marian Opala First Amendment Award every year to an Oklahoman who has "promoted education about or protection of the individual rights guaranteed under the First Amendment".[7] In January 2005, Opala, then 83 years old and next in line once again to become Chief Justice, filed a federal lawsuit against his colleagues, alleging that they changed Oklahoma Supreme Court rules for succession to chief justice thereby arbitrarily allowing Chief Justice Joseph M. Watt to serve unprecedented consecutive terms. In July 2006, a federal appeals court dismissed Opala's lawsuit "with prejudice".[8]
In addition to his career on the bench, Opala was an adjunct professor of law at Oklahoma City University, University of Oklahoma and the University of Tulsa, specializing in British and American legal history and constitutional law.[9]
Death
Justice Opala died on October 11, 2010, at Integris Baptist Hospital in Oklahoma City. He was found unconscious two days earlier, on October 9, at his home in Warr Acres. He had suffered a significant stroke.[10]
Funeral services were held at All Souls' Episcopal Church in Oklahoma City on October 18, 2010.[6]
According to his obituary, Justice Opala was survived by his longtime companion, Roberta A. Bertoch and one son, Joseph Opala, a historian who was then directing a research project in the West African nation of Sierra Leone.[6]
References
- ^ "Justice Marian Opala Dies - KRMG Local News on KRMG.com". Archived from the original on 2010-10-16. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
- ^ Everett, Dianna." "Opala, Marian Peter." Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Accessed March 31, 2018.
- ^ "Opala celebrates 40 years in state" Edmond Sun, April 3, 2006. 10-13-09
- ^ Oklahoma Supreme Court Biography
- ^ a b Oklahoma Supreme Court Biography 10-13-09
- ^ a b c "Marian Opala." (obituary) Oklahoman. October 14, 2010. Accessed March 31, 2018.
- ^ "Marian Opala First Amendment Award » FOI Oklahoma". Archived from the original on 2014-01-10.
- ^ "Oklahoma Attorney General - www.oag.state.ok.us". Archived from the original on 2006-08-14. Retrieved 2006-07-30.
- ^ For more on the life and contributions of Justice Opala, see published biography of Marian Opala: Bob Burke & Ryan Leonard, "Opala: In Faithful Service to the Law," Oklahoma Heritage Association, 2012
- ^ Barbara Hoberock, "Marian Opala, Oklahoma Supreme Court justice, dies at 89", Tulsa World, October 12, 2010
Additional sources
- Bernard, Richard M. (1980) The Poles in Oklahoma, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK.
- "Judge, 83, alleges age discrimination" (www.courttv.com)
- Smith, Janice-Francis. Okla. Supreme Court Justice Marian Opala talks about his suit against .." The Journal Record, January 24, 2005. 10-13-09[dead link]
External links
- Voices of Oklahoma interview with Marian Opala. First person interview conducted on October 6, 2010 — four days before his death. Original audio and transcript archived with Voices of Oklahoma oral history project.