Veteran Supreme Court Justice Retiring

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Robert Lavender, who was appointed to the Oklahoma Supreme Court 42 years ago, is retiring on August 1. Lavender, who will be 81 next month, was chief justice of the state high

Monday, June 25th 2007, 12:09 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Robert Lavender, who was appointed to the Oklahoma Supreme Court 42 years ago, is retiring on August 1. Lavender, who will be 81 next month, was chief justice of the state high court from 1979 to 1980. He was appointed by former Governor Henry Bellmon.

He was in private practice in Tulsa and Claremore before being appointed as a justice. He also was city attorney of Tulsa and Catoosa.

He is a graduate of the University of Tulsa law school and a veteran of World War II.

``Justice Lavender has served the state well, devoting more than half of his life to the Supreme Court,'' said James Winchester, the current chief justice. ``As the senior member of the court, his wisdom and experience have provided leadership for many years. He will be missed by all.''