--- title: "James H. Payne | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-h-payne-2522" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # James H. Payne U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma · U.S. District Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma - State: Oklahoma - Role: U.S. District Judge - Service status: former - Last verified: 2026-06-30 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, District Court, E.D. Oklahoma, 2001-present - Judge, District Court, W.D. Oklahoma, 2001-present - Confirmed by the Senate on October 23, 2001, he became Chief Judge of the Eastern District from 2002 to 2017 - From 1966 to 1970, Payne held the role of a judge advocate general in the U.S. Air Force, later returning as a reserve officer until 1992 - Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma (1970–1973) before entering private practice in Muskogee, Oklahoma, as a partner in Sandlin and Payne. - Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma - Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma - Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma ### Education - He later earned his J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1966 - University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus — B.S. (1963) - A standout football player, he obtained a scholarship to the University of Oklahoma, where he played under legendary coach Bud Wilkinson and graduated in 1963 with a B.S. degree. ### Additional information - Judge Payne died on December 2, 2025, at age 84, after a prolonged illness. - Senior Judge (2017–2025) - James Hardy Payne (March 5, 1941 – December 2, 2025) was a distinguished U.S. federal judge who served simultaneously on the Eastern, Northern, and Western Districts of Oklahoma, and was widely respected in the Oklahoma legal community - He assumed senior status on August 1, 2017, and remained active until his death - On September 4, 2001, President George W. Bush nominated Payne to a unique seat covering all three Oklahoma federal districts — Eastern, Northern, and Western — vacated by Michael Burrage. - U.S. Magistrate, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Oklahoma, 1988-2001 - U.S. Air Force Reserve, 1975-1992 - Born in Lubbock, Texas, Payne grew up in Stamford, Texas, where he graduated from high school in 1959. - Date of birth: 1941-01-01 - He was remembered as a beloved figure in Muskogee and Tulsa, with a career marked by legal service, judicial leadership, and community engagement - Birth place: Lubbock, TX ## 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/2522/james-h-payne/) - [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2522/james-h-payne/) - [U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2522/james-h-payne/) - [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/2522/james-h-payne/) - [Payne, James H. | Federal Judicial Center](https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/payne-james-h) - [Retired Judge James Hardy Payne | Eastern District of Oklahoma | United States District Court](https://www.oked.uscourts.gov/news/retired-judge-james-hardy-payne) - [Wikidata: James H. Payne](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6135254) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-h-payne-2522", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-h-payne-2522", "name": "James H. Payne | KnowJudges", "description": "James H. 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