James Gilmartin will take over as district attorney for Oklahoma’s 20th Judicial District earlier than originally scheduled after Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed him to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of District Attorney Melissa Handke.
Stitt announced the appointment Sept. 25, with Gilmartin beginning his duties as district attorney Oct. 1. Gilmartin had already been elected to the position in the June Republican primary and was originally scheduled to begin his elected term Jan. 4, 2027. The early appointment follows Handke’s Sept. 3 resignation.
Handke was appointed by Stitt in 2023 after longtime District 20 District Attorney Craig Ladd retired. She later sought a full term but was defeated by Gilmartin in the June Republican primary.
Noothercandidatefiledfor the office, leaving Gilmartin as the candidate who would assume the elected position in January.
Handke said she was leaving the district attorney’s office after accepting a position with the federal government. She said her first assistant district attorney would oversee the office during the remainder of her term until a replacement was named. District 20 encompasses Carter, Johnston, Love, Marshall andMurraycounties,making the change particularly significant for southern Oklahoma communities, including Marshall County.
The district attorney’s officehandlestheprosecution of felony and misdemeanor cases throughout the fivecounty district.
Gilmartin is an Ardmore attorney and owner of the Law Office of James R. Gilmartin, where he has practiced criminal defense and family law since 2013. Before entering private practice, he worked as an assistant district attorney in both the Carter County and Oklahoma County district attorney’s offices.
Hispreviousworkincluded handling misdemeanor and felony dockets, trying cases and reviewing criminal charges. In announcing the appointment, Stitt said Gilmartin had served Oklahoma communities throughout his legal career and expressed confidence that he would work to uphold the law for residents of the five counties.
For Gilmartin, the appointment brings forward a transition that otherwise wouldnothaveoccurreduntil the beginning of 2027.
“District 20 has always beenhometous,andthesafety and security of its citizens is personal,” Gilmartin said in a statement released following the appointment.
Healsodescribedbecoming district attorney as a goal dating back to the beginning of his legal career. Gilmartin said he was grateful for the governor’searlyappointment and thanked District 20 residents for placing their trust in him.
The change comes at a time when prosecutors across the district continue to deal with an active caseload involving criminal charges, court proceedings and coordination with local law enforcement. For the communities that make up District 20, the district attorney’s office serves as a central part of the criminal justice system.
The transition may bring its own challenges as Gilmartinmovesfromprivate practice and his previous prosecutorial experience into leadership of the five-county office. Yet the new district attorney enters the position with an understanding of both sides of the courtroom.
“I know these scars will bleed, but both of our hearts believe,”couldalmostserveas a reflection of the transition itself, a change that follows an unexpected resignation while placing an already elected successor into office months ahead of schedule.
The early start means Gilmartin will enter the office during the final months of 2026 rather than waiting until his elected term formally begins in January. His elected term will begin Jan. 4, 2027.
Theadditionalmonthswill giveGilmartinanopportunity to become familiar with pending cases, prosecutors and law-enforcement agencies across Carter, Johnston, Love, Marshall and Murray counties before beginning his full elected term. For Marshall County, the change means a new district attorney will soon be responsible for prosecutorial decisions affecting cases in the county, along with the otherfourcountiesthatmake up the 20th Judicial District.
As Gilmartin takes the reins early, the transition marks the beginning of a new chapter for the District 20 District Attorney’s Office, one that residents in all five counties will be watching closely.