Title 20 — Title 20 — Courts

A. There is hereby created a Cost Administration Implementation Committee within the Administrative Office of the Courts. Members of the Committee shall be appointed no later than July 1, 2022. The Committee shall be composed of thirteen (13) members as follows: 1. The Administra…

Security and Privacy Act of 2025. This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Oklahoma Elected Official and Judicial Security and Privacy Act of 2025”. Added by Laws 2023, c. 350, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2023. Amended by Laws 2025, c. 382, § 1, eff. July 1, 2025.

As used in the Oklahoma Elected Official and Judicial Security and Privacy Act of 2025: 1. The term “at-risk individual” means any currently elected federal official of this state, any current state official elected statewide, or any active or retired member of the State Judiciar…

publicly available content. A. Each at-risk individual may: 1. File written notice of the status of the individual as an at-risk individual, for themselves and immediate family, with each state agency that includes information necessary to ensure compliance with this section, as …

notice or requests on behalf of at-risk individuals. Upon written request of an at-risk individual, the Administrative Director of the Courts is authorized to make any notice or request required or authorized by this act on behalf of the at-risk individual. The notice or request …

Not later than one (1) year after the effective date of this act, and biennially thereafter, the Administrative Director of the Courts shall submit to the Legislature an annual report that includes: 1. A detailed amount spent by the state and local governments on protecting cover…

displayed — Exceptions. A. Except as provided in subsection B of this section, no person, business, or association shall publicly post or publicly display on the Internet covered information of an at-risk individual or immediate family if the at-risk individual has made a written…

A. An at-risk individual or their immediate family whose covered information is made public as a result of a violation of this act may bring an action seeking injunctive or declaratory relief in any court of competent jurisdiction. If the court grants injunctive or declaratory re…

A. Nothing in this act shall be construed: 1. To prohibit, restrain, or limit the lawful investigation or reporting by the press of any unlawful activity or misconduct alleged to have been committed by an at-risk individual or their immediate family; 2. To impair access to decisi…

If any provision of this act, an amendment made by this act, or the application of such provision or amendment to any person or circumstance is held to be unconstitutional, the remainder of this act and the amendments made by this act and the application of the remaining provisio…

The Court of Criminal Appeals shall consist of five (5) Judges, any three of whom shall constitute a quorum, and the concurrence of three Judges shall be necessary to a decision of said Court. Said Judges shall have the same qualifications and receive the same salaries as Justice…

(a) The name of the "Criminal Court of Appeals" of this state is hereby changed to "Court of Criminal Appeals". (b) Every place in the statutes of this state that the name of said court appears as the " Criminal Court of Appeals" the reference shall be deemed to be to the "Court …

A. For fiscal year 2026 and each fiscal year thereafter, except as otherwise provided by the Board on Judicial Compensation after the effective date of this act, the following judicial officers shall receive compensation for their services, payable monthly as follows: 1. The Pres…

When said court, or any member thereof, shall be disqualified under the Constitution and laws of this state to hear and determine any case or cases in said court, the same shall be certified to the Governor of the state, who shall immediately commission the requisite number of pe…

Judges. A. The state is hereby divided into five (5) Court of Criminal Appeals Judicial Districts. From each of said districts candidates for Judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals shall be nominated and appointed in the manner provided by Article VII-B of the Oklahoma Constituti…

Criminal Appeals. A. Except as otherwise provided for in this subsection, the term of office for Judges of the Court of Criminal Appeals shall be six (6) years. The initial term of office for the Judge in Court of Criminal Appeals Judicial District No. 4, who shall be the Judge o…

The Criminal Court of Appeals shall hold six terms each year, at the Capitol of the state. R.L. 1910, § 1764.

The Court of Criminal Appeals may appoint one of its legal secretaries as marshal of the Court. The legal secretary so appointed shall perform such services without additional compensation. Added by Laws 1943, p. 249, § 1, emerg. eff. Feb. 8, 1943. Amended by Laws 1968, c. 294, §…

The Clerk of the Supreme Court shall be ex officio Clerk of the Court of Criminal Appeals, and shall perform like services as he performs for the Supreme Court. In all cases filed in the Court of Criminal Appeals, and at the time of filing same, there shall be deposited with said…

It shall be the duty of the Criminal Court of Appeals to procure a seal for said Court, said seal to be the same size and design as the seal of the Supreme Court, with the words "Criminal Court of Appeals State of Oklahoma" engraved thereon. R.L. 1910, § 1768.

rooms and supplies. The Office of Management and Enterprise Services shall provide suitable office space, furniture, furnishings, and office supplies for each Justice for use in the performance of his or her official duties. Added by Laws 1917, c. 145, p. 233, § 6, emerg. eff. Ma…

The Criminal Court of Appeals shall have exclusive appellate jurisdiction, co-extensive with the limits of the state, in all criminal cases appealed from the district, superior and county courts, and such other courts of record as may be established by law. R.L. 1910, § 1769.

Said Court and Judges thereof shall have the power to issue writs of habeas corpus; and under such regulations as may be prescribed by law, issue such writs as may be necessary to exercise its jurisdiction; and may prescribe and promulgate such rules for the government of said Co…

Said Court shall have power, upon affidavit or otherwise, to ascertain such matters of fact as may be necessary to the exercise of its jurisdiction. R.L. 1910, § 1771.

In all cases where the Criminal Court of Appeals has caused attachment to issue against any person for the violation of any order or mandate issued by said Court, if said person, after he has been brought before said Court under such proceedings, shall demand a trial by jury in s…

When the court from which an appeal is taken shall be deprived of jurisdiction of the cause pending such appeal, and when such case shall have been determined by the Criminal Court of Appeals, the mandate of the Criminal Court of Appeals shall be returnable to the court of which …

In every State case of a less grade than a felony in which an appeal is taken to the Criminal Court of Appeals, and the judgment of the court below is affirmed against the defendant, all fees due the clerk of said court in said case shall be adjudged against the defendant and his…

All writs or process issuing from the Criminal Court of Appeals shall be attested in the name of the presiding Judge and under the seal of the Court. R.L. 1910, § 1775.

As soon as the opinions are recorded, the original, together with the records and papers in each case to be reported, shall be delivered by the Clerk of said Court to State Reporter. The Clerk shall take his receipt for the same, but the Reporter shall return to said Clerk the sa…

The decisions of the Court of Criminal Appeals shall be in such form as the Court shall specify. They shall be filed with the papers in the case and shall be treated as part of the record in the case; provided, that a mandate shall not be sent to the court below until a decision …

No Justice of the Supreme Court shall become, during the term for which he may be elected or appointed, a candidate for any office other than a judicial position. Added by Laws 1917, c. 145, p. 233, § 7, emerg. eff. March 30, 1917.

The referee shall take and subscribe to the oath of office prescribed by the Constitution for state officials before entering upon the discharge of his duties. Added by Laws 1968, c. 294, § 2, eff. July 1, 1968.

No later than August 1, 1993, the Court of Criminal Appeals shall establish qualification rules for determining when a defendant in a criminal case shall be entitled to a court-appointed attorney. It is the intent of the Oklahoma Legislature that a criminal defendant shall be ent…

NOTE: Laws 2009, c. 228, § 22, which created this section, was held unconstitutional by the Oklahoma Supreme Court in the case of Douglas v. Cox Retirement Properties, Inc., 2013 OK 37, 302 P.2d 789 (Okla. 2013).

The invalidity of any section, provision, clause or portion of this act shall not be construed to invalidate the remaining portion thereof. Added by Laws 1917, c. 145, p. 234, § 8, emerg. eff. March 30, 1917.

Decisions - Recall of case from emergency panel - Conduct of proceedings. A. There is hereby established within the Court of Criminal Appeals an Emergency Appellate Division which shall have the power to determine or otherwise dispose of any cases assigned to it by the Court of C…

Division - Eligibility to serve - Orientation or distribution of materials. A. In the exercise of the powers granted by Section 6 of Article VII of the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall appoint no less than sixty (60) district jud…

- Assignment and disposition of cases - Number of panels - Minimum number of unassigned regular felony appeals. A. An emergency appellate panel of the Emergency Appellate Division may be activated upon request of the Presiding Judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals when the Chief…

The opinions of the emergency appellate panels of the Emergency Appellate Division shall be written in the form prescribed by the Court of Criminal Appeals. No opinion of the Emergency Appellate Division shall be binding or cited as a precedent unless it has been approved by the …

- Travel expenses - Transmission of case files and other relevant materials - Payment of expenses - Scope of review of Court of Criminal Appeals - Budgeting, management and administration of Emergency Appellate Division. A. The duties and procedures of the Emergency Appellate Div…

There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund for the Court of Criminal Appeals to be designated the "Court of Criminal Appeals Revolving Fund". The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year limitations, and shall consist of all monies received …

Whenever part of a county has been transferred to another county, or a new county has been created out of an existing county, as provided by law, all civil, criminal, probate and other causes pending in the district and county courts of the original county, shall be transferred t…

Upon showing by the plaintiff or defendant in all civil and criminal cases; or some interested person in probate matters, being filed by the clerk of the court, that the venue of said cause is in some other county as provided by the preceding section, the court shall order the tr…

The court to which any action or proceeding has been transferred under the provisions of this act shall take jurisdiction thereof and shall proceed therein in all respects as if such action or proceeding had been originally commenced in said court. Added by Laws 1913, c. 8, p. 9,…

declared invalid - Transfer of pending cases. Whenever any court is heretofore or may hereafter be created and thereafter abandoned, or where any county is heretofore or hereafter abandoned, all civil or criminal cases, which may be filed in such created courts or in the courts o…

The aforesaid assistant filing and journal clerks shall have power to administer oaths and issue certificates. Added by Laws 1913, c. 97, p. 161, § 3, eff. Jan. 1, 1914.

The Clerk of the Supreme Court shall, on the first Monday of January, April, July and October of each year, make out and present to the Administrative Director an itemized and verified report of all fees earned and collected by the clerk during the preceding quarter, and shall tr…

monies. From and after January 1, 1954, the new opinions of the Supreme Court, the Court of Criminal Appeals and the Court of Appeals shall be promptly furnished, at a cost of twenty-five cents ($0.25) per page, to any person, firm or corporation who shall request same in writing…

The Clerk of the Supreme Court shall give a bond to the State of Oklahoma in the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), to be approved by the Supreme Court for the faithful performance of his duties as prescribed by law. Added by Laws 1913, c. 97, p. 162, § 6.

The Supreme Court shall appoint to serve at its pleasure as Clerk for that Court a person who is licensed to practice law within the State of Oklahoma. The Clerk shall keep the records, files and papers committed to his care, and record the judgments, decrees and orders of the Su…