Sentencing in Oklahoma is a practical compendium of sentencing law and procedure intended for everyday courtroom use by judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys. This work analyzes sentencing procedures and non-capital punishments for approximately 188 crimes regularly prosecuted in Oklahoma.
The Ninth Edition is a substantial revision with important additions and changes current through mid-December, 2025, including the classification system and penalties enacted by the Oklahoma Sentencing Modernization Act of 2024 (OSMA24), effective January 1, 2026. The text includes a summary of case law from 2017-2025 and helpful lists, like the violent “571” crimes and 85% crimes. The Ninth Edition is currently available without charge to users and exclusively online.
Like previous editions, the text uses simplified math and citation conventions rather than legalese and Bluebook style. Standard symbols for less than (<), less than or equal to (≤), and greater than (>) or greater than or equal to (≥), have been substituted for equivalent statutory phrases such as “not exceeding,” “not to exceed,” “within,” or “not more [or less] than” x.
Citations to Supreme Court and Oklahoma cases give official U.S. Reports (U.S.) and OSCN citations. In case styles, the ever present “State” is shortened to “St.” The prosecution throughout is simply the “DA,” meaning district attorneys and their assistants. Guilty pleas include pleas of no contest.
This work is an ongoing and sometimes challenging effort to analyze current law. It conceives of the sentence as the legal penalty, and generally does not address matters outside the direct relation between sentencers and offenders, such as specific rehabilitation or treatment programs, court costs, corrections bureaucracies, and so forth.
This resource offers little treatment of crimes for which no one has been prosecuted in years, nor does it incorporate new legislation unlikely to really impact everyday practice. A pragmatic synthesis of current sentencing statutes and case law is the aim of this work. Imperfections are inevitable. Questions, comments, and corrections are appreciated! Please send correspondence to Bryan Dupler at oksentencinglaw@gmail.com.
Bryan Lester Dupler
Norman, OK
October 1, 2025