{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-21-21-856","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 21, § 21-856","heading":"Causing, aiding, abetting or encouraging minor to be","body":"delinquent or runaway child, to commit felony or to become involved\n\nwith criminal street gang.\n\nA. 1. Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, every\n\nperson who shall knowingly or willfully cause, aid, abet or\n\nencourage a minor to be, to remain, or to become a delinquent child\n\nor a runaway child, upon conviction, shall, for the first offense,\n\nbe guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county\n\njail not to exceed one (1) year, or by a fine not to exceed One\n\nThousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment.\n\n2. For purposes of prosecution under this subsection, a\n\n\"runaway child\" means an unemancipated minor who is voluntarily\n\nabsent from the home without a compelling reason, without the\n\nconsent of a custodial parent or other custodial adult and without\n\nthe parent or other custodial adult's knowledge as to the child's\n\nwhereabouts. \"Compelling reason\" means imminent danger from incest,\n\na life-threatening situation, or equally traumatizing circumstance.\n\nA person aiding a runaway child pursuant to paragraph (4) of\n\nsubsection (a) of Section 5 of Title 76 of the Oklahoma Statutes or\n\naiding a child based upon a reasonable belief that the child is in\n\nphysical, mental or emotional danger and with notice to the\n\nDepartment of Human Services or a local law enforcement agency of\n\nthe location of the child within twelve (12) hours of aiding the\n\nchild shall not be subject to prosecution under this section.\n\nB. Every person convicted of a second or any subsequent\n\nviolation of this section shall be guilty of a Class D3 felony\n\noffense punishable by imprisonment as provided for in subsections B\n\nthrough F of Section 20P of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes, or by\n\na fine not exceeding Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by both\n\nsuch fine and imprisonment.\n\nC. Every person eighteen (18) years of age or older who shall\n\nknowingly or willfully cause, aid, abet, or encourage a minor to\n\ncommit or participate in committing an act that would be a felony if\n\ncommitted by an adult shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a Class\n\nB5 felony offense punishable by the maximum penalty allowed for\n\nconviction of the offense or offenses which the person caused,\n\naided, abetted, or encouraged the minor to commit or participate in\n\ncommitting.\n\nD. Every person who shall knowingly or willfully cause, aid,\n\nabet, encourage, solicit, or recruit a minor to participate, join,\n\nor associate with any criminal street gang, as defined by subsection\n\nF of this section, or any gang member for the purpose of committing\n\nany criminal act shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a Class B5\n\nfelony offense punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the\n\nDepartment of Corrections for a term of not more than five (5)\n\nyears, or a fine not to exceed Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or\n\nboth such fine and imprisonment.\n\nE. Every person convicted of a second or subsequent violation\n\nof subsection D of this section shall be guilty of a Class B4 felony\n\noffense punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department\n\nof Corrections for a term not less than five (5) years nor more than\n\nten (10) years, or by a fine not exceeding Five Thousand Dollars\n\n($5,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment.\n\nF. \"Criminal street gang\" means any ongoing organization,\n\nassociation, or group of five or more persons that specifically\n\neither promotes, sponsors, or assists in, or participates in, and\n\nrequires as a condition of membership or continued membership, the\n\ncommission of one or more of the following criminal acts:\n\n1. Assault, battery, or assault and battery with a deadly\n\nweapon, as defined in Section 645 of this title;\n\n2. Aggravated assault and battery as defined by Section 646 of\n\nthis title;\n\n3. Robbery by force or fear, as defined in Sections 791 through\n\n797 of this title;\nnd\n\nrequires as a condition of membership or continued membership, the\n\ncommission of one or more of the following criminal acts:\n\n1. Assault, battery, or assault and battery with a deadly\n\nweapon, as defined in Section 645 of this title;\n\n2. Aggravated assault and battery as defined by Section 646 of\n\nthis title;\n\n3. Robbery by force or fear, as defined in Sections 791 through\n\n797 of this title;\n\n4. Robbery or attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon or\n\nimitation firearm, as defined by Section 801 of this title;\n\n5. Unlawful homicide or manslaughter, as defined in Sections\n\n691 through 722 of this title;\n\n6. The sale, possession for sale, transportation, manufacture,\n\noffer for sale, or offer to manufacture controlled dangerous\n\nsubstances, as defined in Section 2-101 et seq. of Title 63 of the\n\nOklahoma Statutes;\n\n7. Trafficking in illegal drugs, as provided for in the\n\nTrafficking in Illegal Drugs Act, Section 2-414 of Title 63 of the\n\nOklahoma Statutes;\n\n8. Arson, as defined in Sections 1401 through 1403 of this\n\ntitle;\n\n9. The influence or intimidation of witnesses and jurors, as\n\ndefined in Sections 388, 455 and 545 of this title;\n\n10. Theft of any vehicle, as described in Section 1720 of this\n\ntitle;\n\n11. Rape, as defined in Section 1111 of this title;\n\n12. Extortion, as defined in Section 1481 of this title;\n\n13. Transporting a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, in\n\nviolation of Section 1289.13 of this title;\n\n14. Possession of a concealed weapon, as defined by Section\n\n1289.8 of this title;\n\n15. Shooting or discharging a firearm, as defined by Section\n\n652 of this title;\n\n16. Soliciting, inducing or enticing another to commit an act\n\nof prostitution, as defined by Section 1030 of this title;\n\n17. Human trafficking, as defined by Section 748 of this title;\n\nor\n\n18. Possession of a firearm after former conviction of a\n\nfelony, as defined by Section 1283 of this title.","path":["OK Code","Title 21"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os21.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"363a527f80ce0475413aefa380c205802b5b1aea4d245b3ddc8855d5d3dbda37","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-21-21-855","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-21-21-856.1"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}