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Why Oklahoma Court Records are Available to the Public?
In 1984, the Oklahoma State Legislature passed a law named the Oklahoma Open Records Act. This law enables the last changes in 1988 and having its basic aim in ensuring disclosure of court records and other public records to the public.
What Court Records Access Means To You?
The law is similar to the Oklahoma Open Meeting Law legislates the methods by which public meetings are held. While the Oklahoma Open Records Act safeguards the access of all public records at all government levels in the state of Oklahoma to the public.
Accountability to the Public
When the legislature enacted Oklahoma Open Records Act, it expressively declared that access to information about the conduct of the people’s business is a fundamental and necessary right of every person in this state, Law & Legislative Reference. The legislature in the state of Oklahoma states that the duty of every public official of Oklahoma, and of its subdivisions, who required by law to keep public records open for public inspection for proper purposes.
By promoting public access to government records, the Oklahoma Open Records Act is to safeguard the government's accountability to the public.
How the Oklahoma Court Process Functions?
Most cases in Oklahoma courts begin in one of the 77 superior or trial courts in the state’s 77 counties.
The next level of judicial authority resides with the Court of Appeals. Most cases before the Court of Appeals involves the review of a superior court decision being contested by a party involved in the case.
The Supreme Court serves as the highest court in the state to check decisions of the Court of Appeals to settle important questions of law and to resolve conflicts among the Court of Appeals.
Some differences between Civil Court and Small Claims Court below
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