Okla. Stat. tit. 22, § 22-73: Deadly force to protect unborn justified - Circumstances
Where this section sits in the code
- OK Code
- Title 22
A. A pregnant woman is justified in using force or deadly force
against another to protect her unborn child if:
1. Under the circumstances as the pregnant woman reasonably
believes them to be, she would be justified in using force or deadly
force to protect herself against the unlawful force or unlawful
deadly force she reasonably believes to be threatening her unborn
child; and
2. She reasonably believes that her intervention and use of
force or deadly force are immediately necessary to protect her
unborn child.
B. This affirmative defense to criminal liability does not
apply to:
1. Acts committed by anyone other than the pregnant woman;
2. Acts where the pregnant woman would be obligated to retreat,
to surrender the possession of a thing, or to comply with a demand
before using force in self-defense. However, the pregnant woman is
not obligated to retreat before using force or deadly force to
protect her unborn child, unless she knows that she can thereby
secure the complete safety of her unborn child; or
3. The defense of human embryos existing outside of a woman’s
body.
Collected 2026-09-14T18:32:36Z. Source file · JSON