Okla. Stat. tit. 21, § 21-565
This is the official text of Okla. Stat. tit. 21, § 21-565, part of Oklahoma’s Stat. tit. 21, — part of the compiled statutory law of Oklahoma, published by the state as "Stat. tit. 21,." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Contempts, direct and indirect – Definitions
Official statutory text
Contempts of court shall be divided into direct and indirect
contempts. Direct contempts shall consist of disorderly or insolent
behavior committed during the session of the court and in its
immediate view, and presence, and of the unlawful and willful
refusal of any person to be sworn as a witness, and the refusal to
answer any legal or proper question; and any breach of the peace,
noise or disturbance, so near to it as to interrupt its proceedings,
shall be deemed direct contempt of court, and may be summarily
punished as hereinafter provided for. Indirect contempts of court
shall consist of willful disobedience of any process or order
lawfully issued or made by court; resistance willfully offered by
any person to the execution of a lawful order or process of a court.
contempts. Direct contempts shall consist of disorderly or insolent
behavior committed during the session of the court and in its
immediate view, and presence, and of the unlawful and willful
refusal of any person to be sworn as a witness, and the refusal to
answer any legal or proper question; and any breach of the peace,
noise or disturbance, so near to it as to interrupt its proceedings,
shall be deemed direct contempt of court, and may be summarily
punished as hereinafter provided for. Indirect contempts of court
shall consist of willful disobedience of any process or order
lawfully issued or made by court; resistance willfully offered by
any person to the execution of a lawful order or process of a court.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Oklahoma?
Find a Oklahoma lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.