{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-63-63-946","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 63, § 63-946","heading":"Exhuming of bodies - Hearing - Autopsy - Reports","body":"A. If death occurred under circumstances as enumerated in\n\nSection 938 of this title, and if the body has been buried without\n\nproper certification of death, it shall be the duty of the\n\ninvestigating official, upon ascertaining such facts, to notify the\n\nChief Medical Examiner and the district attorney of the county in\n\nwhich the body was buried. The district attorney shall present\n\nfacts to the judge of the district court of that county, and the\n\njudge, after a hearing, may by written order require the body to be\n\nexhumed and an autopsy performed by the Chief Medical Examiner or\n\nhis or her designee. A copy of the court order for exhumation shall\n\nbe provided to the State Department of Health. A complete report of\n\nthe facts developed by the autopsy and the findings of the person\n\nmaking the same shall be filed with the Chief Medical Examiner\n\nwithout unnecessary delay and a copy furnished the district attorney\n\nof the county within which the death occurred or within which the\n\nbody was buried, or both.\n\nB. No order for exhumation, as provided for in subsection A of\n\nthis section, shall be made without notice of the hearing being\n\nserved upon the decedent's next of kin, five (5) days prior to the\n\nhearing. The notice shall be served in the same manner as provided\n\nfor by law for the service of summons in a civil action, shall\n\ninclude the date, time and place of the hearing and shall advise the\n\nperson so notified that he or she has the right to appear and be\n\nheard by the court at that time. Provided, that the district\n\nattorney may, by affidavit, advise the court that the identity or\n\nwhereabouts of any persons required to be served with notice under\n\nthis subsection is unknown and cannot be ascertained with due\n\ndiligence. Upon finding that the facts stated in the affidavit are\n\ntrue, the court shall not require notice be given.","path":["OK Code","Title 63"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os63.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"39782138f7707077a8a503ade946a2f6b10b99521b514cd39247163da451fcb8","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-63-63-945","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-63-63-947"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}