Knife Laws in Oklahoma

Oklahoma's unlawful-carry statute no longer lists knives: it bars carrying pistols, rifles, shotguns, blackjacks, loaded canes, hand chains, metal knuckles 'or any other offensive weapon,' and expressly allows 'the proper use of guns and knives for self-defense, hunting, fishing, educational or recreational purposes.' A violation is a misdemeanor (fine of $100 to $250 or up to 30 days for a first offense). Weapons listed in that statute are banned on public and private school property and school buses (misdemeanor, fine up to $250), with exceptions such as a hunting or fishing knife kept in a vehicle while dropping off a student. Having a knife, dagger, dirk or switchblade while committing a felony is a separate Class B4 felony (at least two years). The statutes read contain no separate ban on switchblade or gravity knives and no blade-length limit.

Oklahoma's rule on court-appointed lawyers: The Oklahoma Indigent Defense System defends indigents in all capital and felony cases and in all misdemeanor and traffic cases punishable by incarceration (some large counties have county indigent defenders). To request representation, the person submits an application to the court clerk, signed under oath and under penalty of perjury, stating whether the person has been released on bond; if released on bond, the applicant must also state that he or she contacted three named Oklahoma-licensed attorneys and was unable to obtain counsel. The initial indigency determination is made by the Chief Judge of the judicial district or a designee under Court of Criminal Appeals rules, and posting bond may be considered but cannot be the sole factor. At judgment and sentence, the court shall order the represented person to pay costs of representation, assessed as: $150.00 for a misdemeanor guilty plea or stipulation; $250.00 for a felony guilty plea or stipulation; $500.00 for a misdemeanor jury trial; $1,000.00 for a felony jury trial; $200.00 / $300.00 for a misdemeanor / felony revocation or acceleration merit hearing; unless waived for good cause shown. 22 O.S. §§ 1355.6(A), 1355A, 1355.14

Lawyers set their own fees, and Oklahoma has rules on how they may charge. See hiring a criminal defense lawyer in Oklahoma for fee rules, how to check a lawyer's license and free help.

How release before trial works in Oklahoma: Bail by sufficient sureties shall be admitted upon all arrests in criminal cases where the offense is not punishable by death, and may be taken by persons or courts authorized by law, the court clerk, or the judge. All persons shall be bailable by sufficient sureties, except that bail may be denied for capital offenses when the proof of guilt is evident or the presumption great; violent offenses; offenses punishable by life imprisonment or life without parole; felonies where the person has two or more prior felony convictions from different transactions; controlled dangerous substance offenses with a maximum sentence of at least ten (10) years; and certain repeat DUI offenses. For the non-capital categories, the proof of guilt must be evident or the presumption great, and denial must rest on the ground that no condition of release would assure the safety of the community or any person. Rebuttable presumptions against release apply in some cases (for example, a person arrested for a violent offense while out on bond for a violent offense, shown by clear and convincing evidence). For domestic abuse and listed violent crimes, the court must assess prior patterns of abuse and make written findings on the bail amount. Each judicial district may, by order of the presiding judge, establish a pretrial bail schedule for felony or misdemeanor offenses, reviewed and published by March 1 each year; pretrial bail is set in a numerical dollar amount, courts may use pretrial release programs, and electronic monitoring may be a release condition. 22 O.S. §§ 1101, 1105.2 What happens after an arrest.

Each state sets its own rules for sealing or expunging records. See Oklahoma expungement and record sealing rules.