The Oklahoma Bar Journal September 2024

1. Is the information duplicitous? 2. Does the information state a public offense? 3. Is the verdict in proper form to justify the sen tence imposed? 13 In the closing statements of the opinion, Special Judge Gibson noted that “the evidence might have justified a greater fine, and the defendant will not be heard to complain ... If error was committed by the trial court in this regard, it was in favor of the defendant, and he will not be heard to complain of it.” 14 In addition to her impressive legal career, she was actively involved in political and com munity affairs. In 1932, she made an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. House of Representatives on the Democratic ticket, running on a platform of “intelligence in legislation” and “economy in government.” During World War II, she was director of the Women’s Contact Corps of the Office of Civilian Defense, mar shaling women to serve as volun teers in the civil defense area in Oklahoma. In 1944, Tulsa Mayor Olney Flynn appointed her to the position of city treasurer, the high est nonelective city post to be held by a woman up to that time. 15

In a Tulsa Daily World article, Ms. Gibson said: “A man may do anything he likes, from steeple- sitting to ditch-digging, and nobody bothers to ask him why he did it. He might be asked how he did it, but he’s seldom called upon to explain the reason why. But with a woman it’s different. If she goes far afield from teaching, stenography or marriage, people want to know how come.” 16 Grace Elmore Gibson, former city treasurer, civic leader, attor ney and judge, died May 6, 1975, at the age of 88 in Tulsa.

of Appeals in the embezzlement case against E. M. Landrum, county judge in Vinita. This honor, believed to have never before been accorded a woman, led to the first opinion ever written by a female member of the Criminal Court of Appeals. 12 Presiding Judge Thomas A. Edwards and Judge Thomas H. Doyle con curred with Ms. Gibson’s mostly technical opinion. Perhaps the traits that made her one of the trendsetting female attorneys of her time can best be seen in her excerpts from the Landrum opinion: This case comes before this court upon 12 assignments of error by the defendant. No good purpose can be served by setting out these assignments in detail. Suffice it to say that they formulate the real issues in this case to be as follows:

ENDNOTES

Individual Source: Barbara J. Eden

1. “Mate’s Problems Baffled Her so Tulsa Portia Took Up Law,” Tulsa Daily World , Sept. 13, 1931.

2. Id. 3. Id. 4. Id. 5. Id. 6. Id. 7. Id. 8. Id. 9. Id.

10. Id. 11. Id. 12. “Sentence Given Judge is Upheld,” Tulsa Daily World , Aug. 8, 1936. 13. Landrum v. State , 63 P.2d 994 (Crim. App. 1936). 14. Id. at 997. 15. “Woman Who Held City Office Dies,” Tulsa Daily World , May 7, 1975. 16. “Mate’s Problems.”

Statements or opinions expressed in the Oklahoma Bar Journal are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Oklahoma Bar Association, its officers, Board of Governors, Board of Editors or staff.

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