Muskogee, OK -- On Friday, April 8, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit appointed Honorable Paul R. Thomas to the bankruptcy bench for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

Judge Thomas was previously with the Office of the United States Trustee in Tulsa. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Tulsa.

Honorable Ronald White, Chief U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, will administer the oath to Judge Thomas this afternoon. Judge Thomas will have chambers in Muskogee and will serve as the chief judge for the Bankruptcy Court in Eastern Oklahoma.

The Tenth Circuit, with administrative headquarters in Denver, Colorado, encompasses the states of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming.