Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Oklahoma Legislature, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
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3 SENATE BILL 1881 By: Jett
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to adjudicative hearings; amending
7 10A O.S. 2021, Section 2-2-402, as amended by Section
8 1, Chapter 8, O.S.L. 2023 (10A O.S. Supp. 2025,
8 Section 2-2-402), which relates to conduct of
9 adjudicative hearings; authorizing hearings to be
9 made public if in the public interest; and providing
10 an effective date.
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13 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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14 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 10A O.S. 2021, Section 2-2-402, as
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15 amended by Section 1, Chapter 8, O.S.L. 2023 (10A O.S. Supp. 2025,
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16 Section 2-2-402), is amended to read as follows:
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17 Section 2-2-402. A. All cases of children shall be heard
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18 separately from the trial of cases against adults. The adjudicative
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19 hearings shall be conducted according to the rules of evidence, and
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20 may be adjourned from time to time.
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21 1. Except as provided by paragraph 2 of this subsection, the
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22 hearings shall be private; however, all persons having a direct
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23 interest in the case as provided in this paragraph shall be admitted
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24 and such proceedings may be made public if it is in the public
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Req. No. 3124 Page 1
1 interest. Any victim, relative, legal guardian of a victim, or a
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2 person designated by the victim who is not subject to the rule of
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3 sequestration as a witness of a delinquent act shall be considered
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4 to have a direct interest in the case, shall be notified of all
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5 court hearings involving that particular delinquent act, and shall
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6 be admitted to the proceedings. The court shall, however, remove
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7 all persons not having a direct interest in the case or that are not
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8 the parents or legal guardian of the child from any hearing where
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9 evidence of the medical or behavioral health condition of the child
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10 or specific instances of deprivation are being presented.
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11 Stenographic notes or other transcript of the hearings shall be kept
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12 as in other cases, but they shall not be open to inspection except
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13 by order of the court or as otherwise provided by law.
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14 2. Hearings related to the second or subsequent delinquency
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15 adjudication of a child shall be public proceedings. The
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16 adjudications relied upon to determine whether a hearing is a public
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17 proceeding pursuant to this paragraph shall not have arisen out of
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18 the same transaction or occurrence or series of events closely
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19 related in time and location. Upon its own motion or the motion of
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20 any of the parties to the hearing and for good cause shown, the
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21 court may order specific testimony or evidence to be heard in
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22 private; provided, the court shall not exclude any relative, legal
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23 guardian of a victim, or a person designated by the victim who is
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24 not subject to the rule of sequestration as a witness from the
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Req. No. 3124 Page 2
1 hearing during testimony of the victim. For the purposes of this
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2 paragraph, "good cause" shall mean a showing that it would be
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3 substantially harmful to the mental or physical well-being of the
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4 child if such testimony or evidence were presented at a public
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5 hearing. The judge may, for good cause shown, open the court
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6 hearings to educate members of the public about juvenile justice
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7 issues; however, the identities of the juvenile respondents shall
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8 not be published in any reports or articles of general circulation.
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9 B. The child may remain silent as a matter of right in
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10 delinquency hearings and in need of supervision hearings, and before
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11 the child testifies, the child shall be so advised.
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12 C. A decision determining a child to come within the purview of
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13 the Oklahoma Juvenile Code shall be based on sworn testimony and the
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14 child shall have the opportunity for cross-examination unless the
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15 facts are stipulated or unless the child enters into a stipulation
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16 that the allegations of the petition are true or that sufficient
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17 evidence exists to meet the burden of proof required for the court
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18 to sustain the allegations of the petition. In proceedings pursuant
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19 to the Oklahoma Juvenile Code, the court may allow mileage as in
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20 civil actions to witnesses and reimbursement for expert witnesses
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21 but such shall not be tendered in advance of the hearing. If a
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22 child is alleged to be delinquent and the facts are stipulated, the
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23 judge shall ascertain from the child if the child agrees with the
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1 stipulation and if the child understands the consequences of
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2 stipulating the facts.
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3 D. For any child being held in a secure detention on charges as
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4 an accused juvenile delinquent, adjudication shall occur within
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5 thirty (30) days after the detainment for that charge. This time
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6 may be extended to allow parties to negotiate in good faith to
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7 review discovery or for any other good cause shown. The provisions
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8 of this subsection shall not apply to matters in which a non-jury or
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9 jury trial are requested by the child.
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10 E. If the court finds that the allegations of a petition
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11 alleging a child to be delinquent or in need of supervision are
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12 supported by the evidence, the court shall sustain the petition, and
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13 shall make an order of adjudication setting forth whether the child
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14 is delinquent or in need of supervision and shall adjudge the child
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15 as a ward of the court.
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16 F. If the court finds that the allegations of the petition are
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17 not supported by the evidence, the court shall order the petition
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18 dismissed and shall order the child discharged from any detention or
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19 restriction previously ordered. The parents, legal guardian or
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20 other legal custodian of the child shall also be discharged from any
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21 restriction or other previous temporary order.
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22 G. Any arrest or detention under the Oklahoma Juvenile Code or
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23 any adjudication in a juvenile proceeding shall not be considered an
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24 arrest, detention or conviction for purposes of employment, civil
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1 rights, or any statute, regulation, license, questionnaire,
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2 application, or any other public or private purposes, unless
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3 otherwise provided by law.
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4 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.
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6 60-2-3124 BLB 1/15/2026 8:20:44 AM
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Req. No. 3124 Page 5Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.