--- title: "Gary M. Purcell | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gary-m-purcell-9488" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Gary M. Purcell U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma · U.S. Magistrate Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma - State: Oklahoma - Role: U.S. Magistrate Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-06-30 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - U.S. Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, serving from 1992 until his retirement in 2023 - Joined a renewable eight‐year term as a federal magistrate judge in 1992 by the district court itself, not the President - Before becoming a magistrate judge, he held the role of law clerk to Federal District Judge Stephen Chandler and was appointed Special District Judge for Cleveland County for 15 years ### Education ### Additional information - Magistrate, District Court, W.D. Oklahoma, 1992-present - Over 30 years, presiding over more than 200,000 cases. - His work included handling a wide range of federal matters, from civil litigation to Social Security appeals, and he was known for mentoring judges and attorneys - Purcell’s rulings often applied Eleventh Amendment jurisdictional limits, dismissing official‐capacity claims against states while allowing certain individual‐capacity claims to proceed. - He also demonstrated procedural caution, such as avoiding unnecessary conversions of motions to dismiss into summary judgment when exhaustion issues were involved ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### remote proceedings Scope: statewide Oklahoma Rule 34 authorizes videoconferencing in District Courts, subject to the presiding judge's discretion and case-specific limitations. Evidence excerpt: The Supreme Court hereby authorizes and approves the use of videoconferencing in the District Courts of Oklahoma, as set forth in the following general provisions. [Rule 34. Videoconferencing in the District Courts](https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=483384) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote exhibits Scope: statewide Oklahoma Rule 34 permits documents and exhibits used in videoconference proceedings to be transmitted electronically, with original exhibits transferred after the proceeding unless the judge orders otherwise. Evidence excerpt: Any pleading, other document, or exhibit used in a proceeding conducted by videoconferencing may be transmitted between the court's location and any remote site by electronic means, including, but not limited to, facsimile, scan, or email. [Rule 34. Videoconferencing in the District Courts](https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=483384) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote witness notice Scope: statewide For Oklahoma district-court videoconference witness testimony, Rule 34 generally requires a notice of intent 30 days before the proceeding and allows objections within 10 days, subject to judicial discretion. Evidence excerpt: A proponent of a witness via videoconferencing technology at any hearing or trial shall file and serve on the opposing party a notice of intent to present testimony by videoconferencing technology at least thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled start of such proceeding. [Rule 34. Videoconferencing in the District Courts](https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=483384) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### courtroom electronic devices Scope: statewide Oklahoma's uniform civil jury instruction directs jurors not to use electronic devices while court is in session and prohibits texting, posting, blogging, or broadcasting about the trial. Evidence excerpt: At this time, turn off all cell phones and other electronic devices. Do not use any electronic devices while court is in session in this case. [Oklahoma Uniform Jury Instruction 1.0: Use of Electronic Devices and Research Prohibited](https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=479101) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9488/gary-m-purcell/) - [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9488/gary-m-purcell/) - [U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9488/gary-m-purcell/) - [Rule 34. Videoconferencing in the District Courts](https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=483384) - [Oklahoma Uniform Jury Instruction 1.0: Use of Electronic Devices and Research Prohibited](https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=479101) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9488/gary-m-purcell/) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gary-m-purcell-9488", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gary-m-purcell-9488", "name": "Gary M. Purcell | KnowJudges", "description": "Gary M. Purcell, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-07", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gary-m-purcell-9488#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gary-m-purcell-9488#judge", "name": "Gary M. Purcell", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gary-m-purcell-9488", "jobTitle": "U.S. Magistrate Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9488/gary-m-purcell/" ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Oklahoma", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/oklahoma" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Gary M. Purcell", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/gary-m-purcell-9488" } ] } ] } ``` ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-651872d6e45e0d82319ecccc) — Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.