The history of bribery is as long as the history of humanity; one has to look no further than the story of Judas taking 30 pieces of silver to hand over Jesus for prominent examples of bribery and corruption that have shaped our human story. But not all exchanges of money or other property for information, favors, or other benefits is considered illicit, and in our modern times we need to look at what our state and federal laws say in determining whether the receipt of a gift in explicit or implicit benefits constitutes a criminal act. In Oklahoma, you can indeed be convicted of a felony crime for bribery - bringing with it up to ten years imprisonment in a state prison - for certain acts of accepting cash or other benefits. Below we discuss two of the primary bribery crimes in Oklahoma: bribery of a public officer, and bribery of a fiduciary.
Can I Go to Prison For Accepting Bribes in Oklahoma?
What is My Right to a Jury Trial in an Oklahoma Criminal Case?
Your right to be tried by a jury of your peers is enshrined in the Seventh Amendment of the United States Constitution, and, as such, this right is one that has been honored since the founding of our country. While our federal constitution preserves the "right of trial by jury" by all persons facing criminal charges, states have different ways of applying this right when state prosecutors bring felony or misdemeanor charges against individuals. Here, we take a look at what jury rights the state of Oklahoma offers to defendants facing either felony or misdemeanor criminal charges.
What is an Attempt Crime in Oklahoma and What is the Punishment?
Many times, a person attempting to commit a criminal act is somehow prevented from completing the crime itself. What stops that person could be any number of things. Perhaps the police came before a person could successfully break and enter into another person's house. Maybe an accomplice to the crime backed out during the crime preventing completion of the crime. It could even be that a person who had planned to commit a crime decided at the last second that the crime was a bad idea, and so left the scene before completing the crime. Just because a person did not complete a crime in Oklahoma - for example, they did not physically hurt another person or go through with a burglary or robbery - does not necessarily mean that they will not face criminal charges. Like all states, Oklahoma will bring criminal charges for an attempted crime, which can include jail time, criminal fines, and a criminal record.
