Oklahoma Court Information

The state courts in Oklahoma are as follows:

•    The Supreme Court (for civil cases)
•    The Criminal Appeals Court (for criminal cases)
•    The Civil Appeals Court
•    The District Courts (there are 26 districts and 77 courts in the districts)
•    The Court for Workers' Compensation

The legal system in Oklahoma is a bit different than what it is in the other U.S. states. While elsewhere the Supreme Court is the topmost legal body, in Oklahoma there two courts at the top-the other being the Criminal Appeals Court. Actually, these two together hold the highest position in the state legal hierarchy.

These are not the courts you will have to approach when you are filing your case. For this, you will have to approach the trial courts, which are at the lowest level. This is where most of the cases in the state are resolved.

Contact the Concerned Personnel at any Oklahoma Court

What do you do when you have to get in touch with an Oklahoma court? The answer is simple. Simply visit the official legal website for the state at http://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/start.asp. This online resource contains quality legal content, and provides detailed information on the different courts, regulations and jurisdictions.

Oklahoma Supreme Court

The Supreme Court jointly holds the topmost position in the legal hierarchy as mentioned before. In its capacity, the Supreme Court has the power to monitor and review the decisions passed by any lower court within the state.

There is a Chief Judge, one Vice Chief Justice and 7 Associate Justices in this OK court. The state Governor appoints them all for terms of 6 years. The Supreme Court also hears only important issues concerning public interest matters or those related to constitutional law. Any other case is passed on to the Civil Appeals Court.

Appeals and District Court Jurisdictions

The Criminal Appeals Court hears and passes judgment on all matters that involve crime. This appeal may come from any other court, but this is the court where it must be appealed- particularly when there is a death sentence involved.

The Civil Appeals Court, as the name suggests, is an appellate court and the cases may come even from the Supreme Court. This court has 4 divisions and 12 judges.

As trial courts, the District Courts have general jurisdiction. In the state there are 77 counties, and you will find one such court in each of them. There are twenty-six judicial districts in Oklahoma.

Laws That the Oklahoma Courts Must Abide By

The modes of working of the courts in Oklahoma are decided by issued legal regulations and directives. For example, all administrative aspects of the state judiciary are by law put under the charge of the Administrative Office of the Courts in the state.

The state legal set up is quite unique because there are two courts of last resort. First is the Supreme Court, and then there is the Criminal Appeals Court, which hears all criminal lawsuits.

So when you are planning to approach any court in the state, it makes sense to have a thorough understanding of the hierarchy and jurisdiction of the Oklahoma court network to ensure your case is filed correctly.