The Senator Carri Hicks bill to stop unfair punishment for missed court dates signed into law by Governor Kevin Stitt

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OKLAHOMA CITY – Laws to cease the unfair follow of individuals being unfairly punished for lacking court docket dates resulting from being incarcerated or detained by regulation enforcement has been signed by Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt. Senate Invoice 44’s writer, Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma Metropolis, mentioned she was happy to see the commonsense measure signed into regulation.

“It’s quite common for individuals to be in jail or police custody and miss their court docket dates below no fault of their very own, after which have warrants or extra expenses placed on them,” Hicks mentioned. “I thank my legislative colleagues for working with me cease this unfair follow.”

S.B. 44 requires any expenses or warrants issued for failure to seem in court docket to be dismissed upon the defendant exhibiting the court docket that she or he was incarcerated or in any other case detained by regulation enforcement on the time of the failure to seem.

Rep. Judd Strom, R-Copan, is the principal Home writer of Senate Invoice 44.

“Defendants who fail to seem in court docket shouldn’t be punished for that failure if they’re incarcerated on the time of their listening to,” mentioned Strom. “This would appear like widespread sense, however it’s a prevalent difficulty. S.B. 44 helps make it possible for incarcerated people aren’t enduring double penalization, and I used to be proud to writer it within the Home.”

The state’s chief govt signed the invoice, which handed the Senate and Home unanimously, on Monday (April 19) will go into impact November 1, 2023.

www.CapitolBeatOK.com

Oklahoma State Senator Carri Hicks. Official Legislative Photograph

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