Don Barnes (1924–2011) was a long-time attorney and judge in Oklahoma. Born in Tulsa, he first became a judge in 1954, when he was elected superior court judge in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. He was given the nickname "The Praying Judge," because he began each court session over which he presided with a prayer. In 1972, Oklahoma Governor David Hall appointed him as an associate justice of the state supreme court. Barnes remained on the court until he retired as chief justice in January 1985. Early years Barnes was born to Smith and Ann Barnes in Tulsa on December 25, 1924. He was raised in that city and graduated from Central High School in 1942, after which he enrolled in the University of Oklahoma (OU), where he intended to major in engineering. He also joined the Naval Reserve. Eighteen months later he was activated to full-time duty and assigned to the naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. After WWII ended, Barnes returned to OU in 1946, and resumed his studies in engineering. An avid fan of the Sooner football team, he soon met a like-minded coed named Jean Merrill. Their first date was for an OU football game. They married on July 26, 1946, five days after he received his formal discharge papers from the Navy. Barnes changed his major from engineering to law, and received his degree from OU in 1949. Career After his graduation, Barnes and his wife moved to Sulphur, Oklahoma, where he opened a private law practice. In 1951, he became the county attorney of Murray County, Oklahoma. Two years later, they moved to Okmulgee, Oklahoma, where he again established a private practice. He was also elected judge of the superior court, being reelected until 1972. He opened the first session with a prayer, and continued the practice as long as he held the office. He was soon known by the nickname "the Praying Judge". Supreme Court Service In 1972, then governor David Hall named Barnes as an associate justice of the Oklahoma State Supreme Court. The judge remained on the court for the next 30 years. Shortly after his appointment, Barnes and his family moved to Edmond, Oklahoma, where they would live until after his death in 2011. Barnes became quite notable in 1984, when he intervened in a legal action against Wagoner County Associate District Judge, Paul E. Simmons. A number of complaints had been filed