stillthelaw:

Imputing Unchastity Of A Woman, Is a Crime

Anyone who openly or privately accuses a woman of not being ‘chaste’ is committing a misdemeanor, in Oklahoma. In this case, the the prosecutors do not have to prove that a woman is chaste. They just have to prove that the defendant made the claim that she was unchaste.

§21-779. Imputing unchastity to females - Penalty.

If any person shall orally or otherwise, falsely and maliciously or falsely and wantonly impute to any female, married or unmarried, a want of chastity, he shall be deemed guilty of slander, and upon conviction shall be fined not less than Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or by imprisonment in the county jail not less than thirty (30) days nor more than ninety (90) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

R.L.1910, § 2387.

§21-780.  Imputing unchastity - Evidence necessary - Defenses.
In any prosecution under the preceding section it shall not be necessary for the state to show that such imputation was false, but the defendant may, in justification, show the truth of the imputation, and the general reputation for chastity of the female alleged.
R.L.1910, § 2389.

stillthelaw:

Deserting A Wife Or Young Child - Is A Felony

Abandoning and not providing for the care of a wife and/or kids (15 & under) is still a criminal act, in Oklahoma.

 Aside from civil court action and divorce court, the dependents can turn to the police and have the man arrested.

§21-853. Desertion of wife or child under 15 a felony.

Every person who shall without good cause abandon his wife in destitute or necessitous circumstances and neglect and refuse to maintain or provide for her, or who shall abandon his or her minor child or children under the age of fifteen (15) years and willfully neglect or refuse to maintain or provide for such child or children, shall be deemed guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for any period of time not less than one (1) year or more than ten (10) years.
 Added by Laws 1915, c. 149, § 1.  Amended by Laws 1923, c. 78, p. 144, § 2, emerg. eff. March 28, 1923; Laws 1997, c. 133, § 253, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 1999, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 5, § 157, eff. July 1, 1999.NOTE:  Laws 1998, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 2, § 23 amended the effective date of Laws 1997, c. 133, § 253 from July 1, 1998, to July 1, 1999.

§21-854. Proof of marriage - Wife as competent witness - Duty of County Attorney to prosecute.
No other evidence shall be required to prove marriage of such husband and wife, or that such person is the lawful father or mother of such child or children than is or shall be required to prove such fact in a civil action, and such wife shall be a competent witness to testify in any case brought under this act, and to any and all matters relevant thereto, including the fact of such marriage and the parentage of such child or children.  It shall be the mandatory duty of each district attorney of this state to diligently prosecute all persons violating any of the provisions of this chapter (Chapter 31, Title 21 O.S.1951), and in all cases where the evidence is deemed sufficient to justify a prosecution for such violation, any district attorney who shall willfully fail, neglect or refuse to institute criminal proceedings to enforce such provisions, shall be subject to removal from office.Laws 1915, c. 149, § 2; Laws 1949, p. 203, § 1.

stillthelaw:

   Every officer of a court has a duty to refuse a case which is groundless. So why does the practice continue?

  In common law, barratry is the offense committed by people who are “overly officious in instigating or encouraging prosecution of groundless litigation” or who bring “repeated or persistent acts of litigation” for the purposes of profit or harassment.

§21-550. Common barratry defined.

Common barratry is the practice of exciting groundless judicial proceedings.

R.L.1910, § 2262.

§21-551. Barratry a misdemeanor.

Common barratry is a misdemeanor.

R.L.1910, § 2263.

stillthelaw:

  When the Penal Code was first established in Oklahoma, the original thinking was that a 2 year sentence was generally as stiff of a punishment as we were going to impose. Now they did intend for specific heinous crimes to carry a tougher sentence, but they specified that a 1-2 year sentence was the default range which judges were to impose, once guilt was established.

§21-1. Title of code.

This chapter shall be known as the penal code of the State of Oklahoma.

R.L.1910, § 2082.

§21-2. Criminal acts are only those prescribed - “This code” defined.

No act or omission shall be deemed criminal or punishable except as prescribed or authorized by this code. The words “this code” as used in the “penal code” shall be construed to mean “Statutes of this State.”

R.L.1910, § 2083.

§21-3. Crime and public offense defined.

A crime or public offense is an act or omission forbidden by law, and to which is annexed, upon conviction, either of the following punishments:

1. Death;

2. Imprisonment;

3. Fine;

4. Removal from office; or

5. Disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit, under this state.

R.L. 1910, § 2084. Amended by Laws 1997, c. 133, § 10, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 1999, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 5, § 1, eff. July 1, 1999.

NOTE: Laws 1998, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 2, § 23 amended the effective date of Laws 1997, c. 133, § 10 from July 1, 1998, to July 1, 1999.

§21-4. Crimes classified.

Crimes are divided into:

1. Felonies;

2. Misdemeanors.

R.L.1910, § 2085.

§21-5. Felony defined.

A felony is a crime which is, or may be, punishable with death, or by imprisonment in the penitentiary.

R.L. 1910, § 2086. Amended by Laws 1997, c. 133, § 11, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 1999, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 5, § 2, eff. July 1, 1999.

NOTE: Laws 1998, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 2, § 23 amended the effective date of Laws 1997, c. 133, § 11 from July 1, 1998, to July 1, 1999.

§21-6. Misdemeanor defined.

Every other crime is a misdemeanor.

R.L.1910, § 2087. R.L.1910, § 2087.

§21-7. Objects of penal code.

This title specifies the classes of persons who are deemed capable of crimes, and liable to punishment therefor. This title defines the nature of various crimes and prescribes the kind and measure of punishment to be inflicted for each. The manner of prosecuting and convicting criminals is regulated by the code of criminal procedure.

R.L. 1910, § 2088. Amended by Laws 1997, c. 133, § 12, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 1999, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 5, § 3, eff. July 1, 1999.

NOTE: Laws 1998, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 2, § 23 amended the effective date of Laws 1997, c. 133, § 12 from July 1, 1998, to July 1, 1999.

§21-8. Conviction must precede punishment.

The punishments prescribed by this chapter can be inflicted only upon a legal conviction in a court having jurisdiction.

R.L.1910, § 2090.

§21-9. Punishment of felonies.

Except in cases where a different punishment is prescribed by this title, or by some existing provision of law, every offense declared to be a felony is punishable by a fine not exceeding One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary not exceeding two (2) years, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

R.L. 1910, § 2090. Amended by Laws 1997, c. 133, § 13, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 1998, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 2, § 1, emerg. eff. June 19, 1998; Laws 1999, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 5, § 4, eff. July 1, 1999.

stillthelaw:

Concealing Dead Bastards Is Forbidden

  All yer kids need to be recorded. Not just yer noble young uns! If ‘n ye gots a bastard an ye been too shamed to come forward. It’ll be a bad punishment!

§21-863. Concealing stillbirth or death of child.

Every woman who endeavors either by herself or by the aid of others to conceal the stillbirth of an issue of her body, which if born alive would be a bastard, or the death of any such issue under the age of two (2) years, is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one (1) year, or by a fine not exceeding One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or both.

R.L.1910, § 2438.

history-today:

A bit of September 14th history…

1812 - Great Fire of Moscow begins as Napoleon approaches the city and retreating Russians burn it (pictured)

1814 - Francis Scott Key pens “The Star Spangled Banner” while witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry from a ship in Baltimore harbor

1872 - Britain pays US $15.5 million for damages during Civil War

1939 - World’s 1st practical helicopter takes flight - Connecticut

1956 - IBM introduces the RAMAC 305, 1st commercial computer with a hard drive that uses magnetic disk storage; weighs over a ton

1960 - Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela form the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

1984 - 1st MTV Video Music Awards

2009 - David Attenborough and Prince William officially open the Darwin Center at the National History Museum London, in what is the museums most significant expansion since 1881

2019 - A drone attack on Abqaiq oil plant in Saudi-Arabia takes out half the country’s oil production and 5% of the worlds; Yemen Houthi rebels claim responsibility  

history-today:

A bit of September 13th history…

122 - Building begins on Hadrian’s Wall in Northern England

335 - Church of Holy Sepulchre consecrated in Jerusalem

1224 - Francis of Assisi is afflicted with stigmata after a vision praying on Mount Verna

1845 - English chemist Michael Faraday discovers the “Faraday Effect”: the influence of a magnetic field on polorized light

1955 - Swiss inventor George de Mestral is granted a patent for what will become known as velcro (pictured)

1969 - “Scooby Doo Where are You” debuts on CBS

1974 - OPEC instructs its Secretary General to “carry out a study of supply and demand in relation to possible production controls”

1989 - Archbishop Desmond Tutu leads biggest anti-apartheid protest march in South Africa

2005 - “Supernatural” debuts on WB; longest running N. American fantasy series

2008 - Hurricane Ike makes landfall on the TX Gulf Coast, causing heavy damage to Galveston Island, Houston and surrounding areas 

history-today:

A bit of September 12th history…

490 BC - Traditional date of the Battle of Marathon where a small Athenian force defeats the Persian Empire; Pheidippes runs from Marathon to Athens to deliver the news - birth of “marathon”(pictured)

1940 - 17,000 year old Lascaux Cave Paintings are discovered when 4 teens follow their dog down a hole near Lascaux, France

1958 - US Supreme Court orders the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas to integrate

1958 - Jack Kilby demonstrates his 1st integrated circuit (IC) to his supervisor

1964 - Starting the Spaghetti Western genre, “A Fistful of Dollars” premiers

1977 - Anti-Apartheid activist Steve Biko dies in police custody from his injuries after being beaten and tortured by police

2017 - Monster fatburg, 130 tons, size of 11 buses, found in sewers under East London

2018 - Oldest known human drawing discovered, 73,000 years old, in South Africa 

history-today:

A bit of September 11th history…

1297 - Battle of Sterling Bridge: Scottish rebel William Wallace defeats the English

1789 - Alexander Hamilton appointed 1st Secretary of US Treasury

1857 - Mountain Meadows Massacre - Mormons dressed as Native Americans murder 120 colonists in Utah

1945 - Hideki Tojo, Japanese Prime Minister during most of WWII, attempts suicide rather than face war crimes tribunal but fails - later he is hanged(pictured)

1959 - Congress passes a bill authorizing food stamps for poor Americans

1961 - World Wildlife Fund founded

1967 - “The Carol Burnett Show” premiers on CBS

1977 - The Atari 2600, originally known as the Atari Video Computer System, is released in North America revolutionizing the video game industry (pictured)

2001 - 2 passenger planes hijacked by Al Qaeda terrorists crash into NY’s World Trade Towers, causing the collapse of both and 2606 deaths; also a 3rd plane hijacked was crashed into the Pentagon causing 125 deaths

2019 - Water detected for 1st time on planet outside our solar system, on exoplanet k2-18b, 110 light years away 

history-today:

A bit of September 10th history…

1945 - Mike the Headless Chicken is decapitated in Colorado; he survives for another 18 months before choking to death

1984 - 1st episode of daily syndicated version of Jeopardy! with Alex Trebek as host

1991 - Rock band Nirvana release their single “Smells Like Teen Spirit”; often dubbed the anthem of Generation X

1993 - The X-Files debuts (pictured)

1999 - “Fight Club” premiers at Venice Film Festival

2008 - The Large Hadron Collider at CERN, described as the biggest scientific experiment in the history of mankind is powered up in Geneva, Switzerland

2018 - UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres calls for urgent climate change conference saying “climate change is moving faster than we are”

2018 - California passes law to commit to carbon-free electricity sources by 2045