Hearing set in Oklahoma judge's lawsuit

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in Denver in a federal discrimination lawsuit by Oklahoma Supreme Court Judge Marian Opala against his fellow judges on the state's highest

Monday, May 8th 2006, 2:46 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in Denver in a federal discrimination lawsuit by Oklahoma Supreme Court Judge Marian Opala against his fellow judges on the state's highest court.

Opala filed the lawsuit in December 2004 over a change in the court's rules that he says kept him from being appointed chief judge.

The 85-year-old Opala says his age is "a significant factor" in the rule change that led to Judge Joseph Watt being named chief judge for a second consecutive term.

A motion by the other judges to dismiss the case was denied and the justices are appealing that ruling to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver.