Both go to the District Court, which can hear any kind of case (Okla. Const. art. VII § 7). Its bench has three ranks of judges: district, associate district and special. The constitution guarantees each of the 77 counties an associate district judge of its own (Okla. Const. art. VII § 8).

• Misdemeanor: a smaller crime. Punishment is usually county jail time, a fine or both.
• Felony: the heavier category, with state prison possible. Each felony from 2026 onward is assigned a letter tier, with Y and A1 the harshest and D2 and D3 the lightest (HB 1792, as changed in 2025 by HB 2104 and HB 2105).
• Town ordinance cases: a town's municipal court, limited by the constitution to criminal and traffic cases (Okla. Const. art. VII § 1).

Every state case here is heard at one building: the county courthouse, 311 SE 1st St, Buffalo, OK 73834. The main line is 580-735-2012, shared by the Court Clerk and the County Clerk, so ask for the Court Clerk. Mail goes to P.O. Box 369, Buffalo, OK 73834. The clerk's office keeps business hours on weekdays.

This court is part of Judicial District 1, which also takes in Beaver, Cimarron and Texas counties. The District Attorney's local office works in the same building.

Federal charges are tried far away, at the federal courthouse in Oklahoma City, 200 NW 4th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73102, 405-609-5000.

An Oklahoma town may run a municipal court for its own ordinance and traffic cases. The county has four towns. Census Bureau estimates for July 2025 put Laverne at 1,189 people, the county seat at 1,002, Rosston at 50 and May at 28.

• The county seat: call the town office, 610 N. Hoy St, Buffalo, OK 73834, 580-735-2030, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Laverne, May and Rosston: call the Court Clerk at 580-735-2012 to learn where a town ticket is heard.

A ticket that names a state law, not a town rule, goes to the District Court. A 2026 law caps town fines: any amount past the legal top is void and cut back to it (SB 1775).

Expect a quick hearing. The judge reads out the charge, deals with bail and talks about the right to counsel. Someone too poor to hire a lawyer can ask for one right then.

• On a felony, guilty or not guilty waits for a later date.
• A person locked up in some other county may join by video (SB 1711, 2024).
• Bring the case number and arrive early.

Slow cases get a check, too. Since November 2024, a judge reviews a case after 9 months if the person is held only on that charge. For someone free on bond, the review comes at 18 months (SB 325).

Many cases here are misdemeanors. Some common ones:

• Drug possession for personal use. Lowered from a felony by State Question 780, starting July 1, 2017.
• Theft of property under $1,000. Also made a misdemeanor by that 2016 vote.
• A first DUI. A second DUI arrest can't be bonded out until a judge rules on bail (HB 1222, 2025).

After the first hearing, the person can plead guilty, work out a deal with the prosecutor, or ask for a trial. Misdemeanor juries here seat six. Sentences run to county jail time, fines, probation or a mix. If a jail sentence is possible, a person who qualifies gets appointed counsel.

1. Charges filed. The District Attorney's office files the felony with the court.
2. Arraignment. The judge reads the charge aloud and looks again at bail. The plea comes later.
3. Preliminary hearing. It is a test, not a trial. Prosecutors carry a three-part load here: proof of a crime, proof it occurred within county lines, and probable cause (a solid reason to think) that the accused did it.
4. Trial court arraignment. The person now pleads guilty or not guilty.
5. Deal or trial. A felony jury seats 12.
6. Sentencing. The judge nearly always subtracts the days already spent in county jail.

Oklahoma's constitution promises a fast, open trial before jurors drawn from the county where the crime is charged (Okla. Const. art. II § 20).

They do, from bail to parole. Bail can be denied on a violent charge once a judge finds strong proof (Okla. Const. art. II § 8). A 2024 law, HB 3782, tilts the scale toward detention when a new violent charge lands on someone still out on bond from an older violent case.

Under 21 O.S. § 13.1, people convicted of crimes on a set list serve at least 85% of the sentence before parole is even considered. Examples include murder, child abuse, human trafficking, first degree rape, first degree burglary and robbery with a dangerous weapon. For anyone serving life, parole math treats the term as 45 years, which means no review before 38 years and 3 months. The new felony classes place most violent crimes in Y, A and B.

Prosecution: District Attorney District 1 serves four northwest counties: Beaver, Cimarron, Harper and Texas. Its office in the courthouse is at 311 SE 1st St, Buffalo, OK 73834, 580-735-2212. District headquarters: 319 N. Main, Guymon, OK 73942, 580-338-3388.

Defense for people who can't pay: the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System (OIDS) office at 1001 N Main St, Guymon, OK 73942, 580-290-6875.

• Whether the person qualifies is up to the judge, who reads a sworn money form first.
• The application comes from the Court Clerk. Someone in jail can get one from staff.
• Applying costs $40, which goes to the Court Fund rather than OIDS. Payment can wait until the case ends.
• Only the judge appoints OIDS. Calling OIDS directly won't get a lawyer assigned.

Oklahoma court records live on two statewide websites, OSCN, the Oklahoma State Courts Network, and ODCR, Oklahoma District Court Records. Check each one. Type the last name, then the first, or paste in a case number.

A phone call is often faster. The Court Clerk at 580-735-2012 can give the case number, the next date and the courtroom. You can also go in person to the courthouse at 311 SE 1st St, Buffalo, OK 73834 during weekday hours and ask at the clerk's counter.

Sheriff's deputies are the ones who arrest people on county warrants. Call 580-735-2213 and ask the records desk to look up the name. Statewide and federal wanted pages: the Oklahoma Attorney General's Most Wanted list, DOC's Orange Alert for escapes, and the Marshals Service 15 Most Wanted. An OSCN case search may also list a warrant. The cleanest fix is to surrender, with a lawyer at your side, to whichever court signed the warrant. You may also ask the clerk about bonding out or rescheduling. Court Clerk: 311 SE 1st St, Buffalo, OK 73834, 580-735-2012.

The case moves to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, at the federal courthouse, 200 NW 4th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73102, 405-609-5000. The clerk's office is open weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Prosecutor: U.S. Attorney's Office, 210 Park Avenue, Suite 400, Oklahoma City, OK 73102, 405-553-8700.
• Defense: Federal Public Defender, 215 Dean A. McGee Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73102, 405-609-5930.
• Custody: a detention hearing settles whether the person goes home before trial (18 U.S.C. 3142). Until then the U.S. Marshals keep the person, often at the Federal Transfer Center, 7410 S. MacArthur Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73169, 405-682-4075.
• After sentencing: find them with the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

This county lies outside the reservations recognized since McGirt v. Oklahoma (2020).

The state charge keeps going even with a detainer in place. What changes is the release day. The process:

1. The immigration agency's hold request reaches the jail as Form I-247A.
2. That can mean a stay of up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. ICE agents assigned to the Dallas Field Office, whose area includes Oklahoma, then take custody. ICE also has an office at 1220 Sovereign Row, Oklahoma City, OK 73108, 405-219-3199.
4. People may be moved to Cimarron Correctional Facility, 3200 S. Kings Hwy., Cushing, OK 74023, 918-225-3336.
5. The ICE Online Detainee Locator finds them by name and country of birth.

A plea can carry immigration effects, so ask the defense lawyer before signing one. HB 4156 (21 O.S. § 1795) would let the state charge people for being here unlawfully. For now, a federal injunction keeps it on ice while Oklahoma appeals.

The Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC) handles prison terms. The wait to leave the county jail after sentencing usually runs 6 to 9 months, DOC says, though very short sentences can jump the line. Step one is an assessment and reception center. Its staff fill out a custody score sheet based on the offense, how long the sentence is and other points. Step two is a prison at the right custody level.

Search the DOC Offender Lookup, and read about each site on our Oklahoma state prisons page. Inside DOC, each prisoner is assigned a case manager, and families send questions that way. DOC's main office is at 4345 N. Lincoln Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73105, 405-425-2500.

Youth cases are heard on the District Court's juvenile docket, with the Office of Juvenile Affairs (OJA) running services. OJA is at 2501 N. Lincoln Blvd, Suite 500, Oklahoma City, OK 73105, 405-530-2800. Detained teens are kept at a juvenile detention center, apart from the adult jail.

• Under the rules OJA describes, a detained youth goes before a judge on the next judicial day. A good reason, like a long drive, can stretch that to two.
• Youthful offender status can apply to 15 to 17 year olds facing the gravest charges. Kids of 13 or 14 can get it only on a first degree murder count.
• Certification lifts the case into adult court. Reverse certification does the opposite.

Local help for families comes from Western Plains Youth and Family Services, 202639 East County Road 42, Woodward, OK 73801, 580-256-3157.

Since 2018 the Victims Bill of Rights in Article II has gone by the name Marsy's Law (Okla. Const. art. II § 34). Among its promises: respect for the victim's safety and privacy, the chance to be heard when the court weighs release, a plea or a sentence, full restitution, and a prompt finish to the case.

• To get case notices, write to the District Attorney's office at 311 SE 1st St, Buffalo, OK 73834, 580-735-2212. The letter should name the defendant and the county, carry the case number, and list your phone and mailing address.
• Sign up for custody alerts through VINELink.
• Oklahoma's crime victims compensation fund can cover some costs, such as doctor visits, therapy, missed work and a funeral: 405-264-5006.
• A protective order against someone in county jail gets served first, with a try within 24 hours (SB 623).