A Rainy Stormy Day in Blaine County
By Judge Mark Moore

It was a cool and misty overcast spring day in Watonga, the county seat of Blaine County. Rain showers had fallen intermittently in the morning with claps of thunder shaking the Blaine County Courthouse.

The Blaine County District Court was convening an initial appearance criminal docket in the afternoon in the second floor courtroom. I called the docket and advised the defendants appearing for the first time of their constitutional and statutory rights. When we got to the Day case, Allison Lafferty, our assistant district attorney, asked the defendant if her name was spelled correctly on the information.

The name on the information was Rainee Stormee Day. When the defendant stated that her name was spelled correctly, I asked her if she had any proof that was her correct name. She said she had the papers in her purse. The defendant began searching her purse and pulled out a piece of paper. Jim Long, an attorney from Enid, was in the courtroom and volunteered to check the paper. He indicated the document was only a petition to change the defendant’s name.

The defendant dug deeper into her purse. She pulled out an order, signed by Judge Hetherington in Cleveland County, which changed her name to Rainee Stormee Day. When asked why she had changed her name, Rainee said that she had gone to Disneyland and while there she had decided to change her name.

I later contacted Judge Hetherington to find out what he was thinking when he changed a person’s name to Rainee Stormee Day. Judge Hetherington said he had tried to talk Rainee out of changing her name, but was unsuccessful. Judge Hetherington said more interesting name changes involve gender changes when Larry changes to Lucy or Andy to Alice!

Only in Blaine County district court on a rainy stormy day would appear a person by the name of Rainee Stormee Day!

Judge Moore is associate district judge in Blaine County.