{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-51-51-24.1","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 51, § 51-24.1","heading":"Suspension or forfeiture of office or employment upon","body":"conviction of felony - Vacancy - Salary and benefits - Governor\n\nnotified in writing.\n\nA. Any elected or appointed state or county officer or employee\n\nwho, during the term for which he or she was elected or appointed,\n\nis, or has been, found guilty by a trial court of a felony in a\n\nstate or federal court of competent jurisdiction shall be\n\nautomatically suspended from the office or employment.\n\nB. The Governor shall appoint an interim successor to serve\n\nduring the period of suspension of any county commissioner or any\n\nstate officer other than a member of the State Legislature.\n\nC. A vacancy created by the suspension of a member of the State\n\nLegislature shall be filled as provided in Section 20 of Article V\n\nof the Oklahoma Constitution.\n\nD. A vacancy created by the suspension of a county officer\n\nother than a county commissioner shall be filled as provided by\n\nSection 10 of this title.\n\nE. In the event any elected or appointed state or county\n\nofficer or employee who, during the term for which he or she was\n\nelected or appointed, pleads guilty or nolo contendere to a felony\n\nor any offense involving a violation of his or her official oath in\n\na state or federal court of competent jurisdiction, he or she shall,\n\nimmediately upon the entry of the plea, forfeit the office or\n\nemployment.\n\nF. Any such officer or employee upon final conviction of, or\n\npleading guilty or nolo contendere to, a felony in a state or\n\nfederal court of competent jurisdiction shall vacate such office or\n\nemployment and if such felony is for bribery, corruption, forgery or\n\nperjury or any other crime related to the duties of his or her\n\noffice or employment, or related to campaign contributions or\n\ncampaign financing for that or any other office, shall forfeit all\n\nbenefits of the office or employment, including, but not limited to,\n\nretirement benefits provided by law, however, the forfeiture of\n\nretirement benefits shall not occur if any such officer or employee\n\nreceived a deferred sentence, but retirement benefits shall not\n\ncommence prior to completion of the deferred sentence. The\n\nforfeiture of retirement benefits required by this subsection shall\n\nnot include such officer's or employee's contributions to the\n\nretirement system or retirement benefits that are vested on the\n\neffective date of this act.\n\nG. The forfeiture of retirement benefits as provided by\n\nsubsection F of this section shall also apply to any such officer or\n\nemployee who, after leaving the office or employment, is convicted\n\nof, or pleads guilty or nolo contendere to, in a state or federal\n\ncourt of competent jurisdiction, a felony committed while in such\n\noffice or employment, where the felony is for bribery, corruption,\n\nforgery or perjury or any other crime related to the duties of his\n\nor her office or employment, or related to campaign contributions or\n\ncampaign financing for that or any other office.\n\nH. Any claims for payment of salary or wages, or any claims for\n\npayment of any other benefits, to any such officer or employee\n\nsuspended from or forfeiting his or her office or employment shall\n\nbe rejected by the proper authority.\n\nI. Such suspension or forfeiture shall continue until such time\n\nas the conviction or guilty plea is reversed by the highest\n\nappellate court to which the officer or employee may appeal.\n\nJ. The attorney responsible for prosecuting such elected or\n\nappointed state or county officers or employees shall notify the\n\nretirement system in which such officer or employee is enrolled of\n\nthe forfeiture of such officer's or employee's retirement benefits.\n\nUpon receipt of the notice of forfeiture, the retirement system\n\nshall immediately suspend all benefits of the officer or employee,\n\nand notify the officer or employee of his or her right to a hearing\n\nto review whether the conviction or plea qualifies for forfeiture of\n\nbenefits under this section. If the conviction or plea occurs in\norfeiture of such officer's or employee's retirement benefits.\n\nUpon receipt of the notice of forfeiture, the retirement system\n\nshall immediately suspend all benefits of the officer or employee,\n\nand notify the officer or employee of his or her right to a hearing\n\nto review whether the conviction or plea qualifies for forfeiture of\n\nbenefits under this section. If the conviction or plea occurs in\n\nfederal court or the notice of forfeiture is not forthcoming from\n\nthe State prosecutor, the retirement system may investigate and\n\ngather court documents and contact prosecutors to determine whether\n\nthe conviction or plea qualifies under this section. Upon obtaining\n\nsufficient documentation of the conviction or plea, the retirement\n\nsystem shall immediately suspend all benefits of the officer or\n\nemployee, and notify the officer or employee of his or her right to\n\na hearing to review whether the conviction or plea qualifies for\n\nforfeiture of benefits under this section.\n\nK. Within three (3) days of the conviction or plea of guilty or\n\nnolo contendere of a county commissioner, the district attorney of\n\nthe county where such county commissioner served shall notify the\n\nGovernor, in writing, of the suspension, the date of conviction or\n\nplea of guilty or nolo contendere resulting in suspension, and the\n\nfelony committed.\n\nL. Within three (3) days of the conviction or plea of guilty or\n\nnolo contendere of an elected or appointed state officer, the\n\nattorney responsible for prosecuting such state officer, shall\n\nnotify the Governor in writing of the suspension, the date of\n\nconviction or plea of guilty or nolo contendere resulting in\n\nsuspension, and the felony committed.","path":["OK Code","Title 51"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os51.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"ce724cb21f2da75471c22cdf8bc4122e7b5fa75ed5c76fed9bf4aaa2a562457c","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-51-51-22","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-51-51-24.3"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}