§ 414.Penalties

Chapter 9: Witnesses · Last amended June 1, 1957 · Last verified August 3, 2026

In one sentenceSection 414 makes it a misdemeanor for a summoned legislative witness to willfully default or, having appeared, to refuse to answer a pertinent question, punishable by a fine between $100 and $5,000 and one to twelve months in county jail.

Full Text of § 414

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Every person who having been summoned as a witness by the authority of either house of the Legislature, to give testimony or produce papers upon any matter under inquiry before either house, or any committee of either house of the Legislature, willfully makes default, or who, having appeared, refuses to answer any question pertinent to the question under inquiry, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) nor less than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00), and imprisonment in a county jail for not less than one (1) month nor more than twelve (12) months.

End

Amendment History

Laws 1957, HB 831, p. 168, § 4, emerg. eff. 6/1/1957.

Plain-English Summary

Ignoring a legislative summons, or showing up and then stonewalling, carries real consequences. A witness who's summoned by either house of the Legislature to testify or produce papers, and who willfully defaults, or who appears but refuses to answer a question pertinent to the inquiry, is guilty of a misdemeanor. The punishment ranges from a $100 to $5,000 fine plus one to twelve months in county jail.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if a witness ignores an Oklahoma legislative subpoena entirely?

Willfully defaulting on a legislative summons is a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine between $100 and $5,000 and one to twelve months in county jail.

What if a witness shows up but won't answer certain questions?

Refusing to answer any question pertinent to the matter under inquiry, after appearing, carries the same misdemeanor penalty as failing to appear at all.

How is this penalty different from the general witness contempt penalty in Section 394?

Section 414 addresses witnesses summoned specifically by the Legislature and sets its own fine range and jail term, rather than the general contempt fine and imprisonment Section 394 provides.

Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes, enacted by the Oklahoma Legislature. Last verified August 3, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: penalty for refusing to testify before legislature oklahomalegislative witness misdemeanor finecontempt of a legislative committee oklahoma