Oklahoma § 20-1658

§ 20-1658.

Investigation of complaints.

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 20. Courts

A. The Council on Judicial Complaints shall promptly

investigate all complaints received by it, and shall determine the

proper disposition thereof, as provided in Sections 1651 through

1661 of this title.

B. The Council shall have power to hold hearings, administer

oaths or affirmations, receive testimony and other evidence, and

issue and serve or cause to be served subpoenas requiring testimony

or the production of books, records, papers or other tangible

evidence.

C. 1. Subject to funding limitations provided by law, the

Council, as needed, may retain, by contract, a court reporter and,

as needed, may retain an attorney by contract with either the Office

of the Attorney General or other counsel.

2. No person acting as counsel to the Council on Judicial

Complaints shall be eligible for election or appointment to the

Judicial Nominating Commission during the term of his or her

employment or contract for services.

D. The Council is hereby authorized to require in aid of its

investigatory functions the services of the Oklahoma State Bureau of

Investigation as provided for in Section 150.34 of Title 74 of the

Oklahoma Statutes or of any governmentally supported investigatory

agency or, upon authorization of the Board of Governors of the

Oklahoma Bar Association, of the services of the Oklahoma Bar

Association.

E. In the event of contemptuous refusal to obey its lawful

orders, the Council may take steps necessary to maintain order in

its session; as to contempts not affecting the maintenance of order,

it shall certify the matter to the Chief Justice of the Supreme

Court, which shall assign the case for trial and appropriate

disposition to a judge of a district court. In a contempt

proceeding in district court, the counsel for the Council on

Judicial Complaints shall act as prosecutor against the alleged

contemnor.

F. 1. All proceedings under this section shall be held in

secrecy to the same extent as proceedings before a grand jury.

2. A complainant or a witness appearing before the Council who

reveals or causes to be revealed to the public any information about

a proposed or pending judicial complaint shall be subject to a fine

not to exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00). The Council on

Judicial Complaints shall promulgate rules pursuant to the

Administrative Procedures Act governing proceedings under this

subsection.

3. In addition to the fine provided for in paragraph 2 of this

subsection, any judicial officer who reveals or causes to be

revealed any information about a proposed or pending judicial

complaint shall be subject to public reprimand by the Court on the

Judiciary.

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 20. Courts

Added by Laws 1974, c. 251, § 8, emerg. eff. May 23, 1974. Amended

by Laws 1997, c. 239, § 10, eff. July 1, 1997; Laws 1998, c. 368, §

7, eff. July 1, 1998; Laws 1999, c. 423, § 6, emerg. eff. June 10,

1999.