How Does the Oklahoma Municipal Criminal Court of Record Works?

In Oklahoma, the municipal criminal court of record functions under the Court of Criminal Appeals’ authority. The judges of the municipal courts are appointed by the mayor of the city, unlike other courts’ judges who are selected by the governor. The Oklahoma municipal criminal court of record’s purpose is to oversee justice in each city. The court has limited jurisdiction over infringement of city rules and regulations of criminal nature. The municipal criminal court of record has no civil jurisdiction, and the district court usually hears appeals. The municipal criminal court of record is established in cities with over 200,000 population to listen to cases concerning local rules violations. Currently, there are only two of these types of courts in the State of Oklahoma.

In the municipal criminal court of record, the court reporter documents proceedings’ proceedings and preserves every trial’s written report. Municipal courts do not grant hearings to cases related to federal or state laws, only local lawsuits. On the other hand, in the municipal court not of record, recorders do not document proceedings, pleading, and motions.

Municipal criminal courts of record have original jurisdiction to grant hearings and determine the penalties and prosecution when a person disobeys the city of location’s regulations. All criminal verdicts are reviewable by the Court of Criminal Appeals. Oklahoma Municipal Criminal Court of Record has limited jurisdiction and can only hear criminal cases in which the penalty results in fine and jail time. However, the court can not issue sentences longer than six months. For instance, in Oklahoma City, fines violators of ordinances are charged include:

• Criminal court violations (trespassing and getting drunk in public): $178
• Animal control violations: $188
• Failure to vaccinate animal: $168
• Failure to appear in court: $188

Generally, the mayors of Oklahoma’s cities appoint a judge to each municipal court. These judges serve a two-year term before another election for retention or a new judge. To be a judge and on the municipal criminal court of record, the judge must have the following:

• At least a two-year-old license to practice law
• A minimum of two years of experience as a judge. Most preferably, in a court of record
• Must be a resident of the city
• Must be 30 years or above

Judges in Oklahoma municipal may face removal in one of the following ways:

• When the council of Judicial complaints receives an allegation and investigates it to show signs of judicial misconduct, the council can recommend that the judge be removed from office at any time.
• The house of representatives and two-thirds of the senate can initiate a conviction to impeach a judge.

The state of Oklahoma has only two municipal criminal courts of record located in Tulsa and Oklahoma City at the following addresses:

701 Couch Dr

Oklahoma City, OK 73102

Phone: (405) 297–3898

600 Civic Center

Tulsa, OK 74103

Phone: (918) 596–7757

To find Oklahoma municipal criminal court of record case files, interested persons can go online and provide details such as first name, last name, date of birth, and driver’s license. Also, the Oklahoma Court records give the public access to criminal cases in Oklahoma, except otherwise stated by the court. Requesters can visit any of the municipal courts of record in person to find a case record.

The records provide data on any criminal activity that was committed by an individual. Although the exact detail of each case document may differ, most of the case records have the following general information:

• Subject’s name
• Subject’s date of birth
• Physical descriptions
• Details of the arrest
• Disposition of all warrants
• Crime summary
• Details of the criminal conviction

In the State of Oklahoma, persons charged with crime go through the following process:

• Pre-charge investigations
• Arrest
• Initial appearance/bail
• Preliminary Hearing Conference (PHC)
• Preliminary Hearing: Oklahoma Criminal Legal Process
• Arraignment
• Motions hearing
• Trial
• Sentencing
• Appeal

A municipal court of record appeal is very different from that of a Municipal Court not of record. Appeals from the municipal criminal court of record do not result in a new trial. The district court might not give a verdict unless there were some legal errors in the lower court’s final judgment.

The defendant has the right to a jury trial in every municipal court, although it may not be a great idea to have the jury present. In a municipal court, it costs $500 to have a trial by jury. When the defendant appeals to a case at the district court and demands a jury trial, the court will charge an additional fee. All of these costs put together can sum up to $1,500 at times.