Criminal Justice (Violent Crime)

HB 1595 increases penalties for assault and battery offenses in Oklahoma, with specific enhancements for domestic violence cases. It raises jail terms for basic assault (to 90 days) and assault/battery (to 6 months), while creating felony charges for domestic abuse involving weapons (up to life imprisonment for deadly weapons) or against pregnant women (up to 20 years for injury to the fetus). The bill mandates 52-week certified batterers' intervention programs for domestic violence offenders convicted under these provisions, with strict attendance requirements, and requires courts to order counseling as a condition of probation. This directly affects individuals convicted of domestic violence against intimate partners or family members, as defined by Oklahoma law, and expands sentencing options for prosecutors. The law became effective May 12, 2025, after being signed without the Governor's signature.

SB 657 (Oklahoma Senate Bill 657) allows police officers and others acting under their command to appeal pretrial rulings finding their use of deadly force unjustified directly to the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals within 10 days. The law requires the court to give these appeals priority and automatically stays the underlying case while the appeal is pending. Officers who miss the 10-day deadline forfeit the immediate appeal but retain the right to raise the issue at trial or on direct appeal. The bill amends Oklahoma Statute 21 O.S. 2021, Section 732, and takes effect November 1, 2025.