By Cass Rains, Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle
ENID — After nearly 19 years on the bench, District Judge Ronald Franklin will retire effective at the end of the year.
“I won’t be filing for re-election,” Franklin said Wednesday in his chambers at the Garfield County Court House. “I’ve been in it for 44 years. It’s time to take it easier.”
Franklin has served 18 years as a district judge for the Fourth Judicial District of Oklahoma. He was appointed May 28, 1992, by then-Gov. David Walters to fill a term left vacant by Judge Richard Pickens.
Prior to that, Franklin had a private law practice in Enid and also was in the district attorney’s office for four years. Franklin passed the Oklahoma Bar examination in April 1966 after receiving his law degree from the University of Oklahoma School of Law and a bachelor of science degree in business from Oklahoma State University.
“I was born and raised here and I came back here to work,” Franklin said. “I never left.”
It will be almost 19 years on the bench when Franklin retires in December and he said he’s seen many things in his time as a judge.
“You could read it in a book and not believe it,” Franklin said of some of the cases he’s handled. “Some of it is kind of amusing and some of it is very serious.”
Franklin said one of the things he enjoys most about his job his traveling to the surrounding counties for cases.
“It’s been kind of neat traveling around seeing the different counties and different people,” Franklin said. “I’ve handled everything from murder cases to divorce cases.”
Franklin offered this advice for the next judge: “Be yourself. If you are yourself and honest with yourself and be true to yourself you’ll be true to everybody. Don’t try to be someone you’re not.”
Franklin said he plans to travel with his wife, Gayle, and continue on with his hobbies.
“Just relaxing and traveling a little bit,” he said of his plans. “Just fiddling in my shop, things like that. I still run a few cars now and then.”
Franklin said when he retires it will be the people he will miss.
“Seeing the people,” he said. “Beth Malatin has been my court reporter since I’ve been here. Sharon Grantham was my bailiff before Darla Jankey and those are the people I’ve worked with my entire time here.
“I’ll miss them and not seeing the other judges.”
Franklin’s staff said they would miss the judge, too.
“He’s very fair. A great person and a great judge,” Malatin said. “It’s been wonderful working with him.”
“We honestly couldn’t ask for a better person to work for,” Jankey said. “We wish him and Gayle well in his retirement.”
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