Tulsa County Criminal Court & Defense Guide

Henson Law Firm is based in downtown Tulsa, and Rob Henson represents people facing felony and misdemeanor charges in Tulsa County District Court. If you or someone in your family has a case there, knowing the case number, the next court setting, and where to find reliable court information can make the process easier to understand.

Tulsa County District Court is different from Tulsa Municipal Court, even though both courts are located in Tulsa and right next to each other. The court named on your citation, charging document, bond paperwork, or docket tells you which court system is handling the case.

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Tulsa County Courthouse front entrance in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa County Courthouse viewed from the street intersection

Exterior entrance and grounds of the Tulsa County Courthouse

Tulsa County District Court

The Tulsa County Courthouse is located at 500 S. Denver Ave. in downtown Tulsa. The Criminal Division handles state criminal cases and conducts proceedings that include arraignments, preliminary hearings, motion hearings, pre-trial hearings, trials, sentencing, and probation related matters.

A criminal case will not necessarily involve every one of those proceedings. What happens next depends on the charge, whether the case is a felony or misdemeanor, where the case stands procedurally, and what issues develop as the evidence is reviewed.

Understanding a Tulsa County Criminal Case Number

Tulsa County's court system uses different case types to identify different kinds of criminal matters. A CF case number identifies a criminal felony case, while a CM case number identifies a criminal misdemeanor case. A MI number is used for expungements. A CV is for miscellaneous civil cases and driver’s license appeals will also be filed with a CV case number. The court's criminal dockets also include categories for state traffic citations which are designated with a TR. Protective order cases are identified by having a PO number.

The case number is useful when checking court records, speaking with court personnel, or contacting an attorney about the case. If you have court paperwork, keeping the complete case number available can make it much easier to determine what has happened and what is currently scheduled.

Checking Your Case on OSCN.net

Tulsa County District Court cases can be searched through the Oklahoma State Courts Network, OSCN.net, commonly called OSCN. You can search using a case number or a person's name and view docket entries showing filings, court events, and other information recorded in the case.

OSCN is useful, but its online information is not the official court record. A short docket entry or abbreviation can also be difficult to understand without knowing what occurred in court, so important questions about the meaning of an entry should be addressed with the attorney handling the case.

Tulsa County District Court and Tulsa Municipal Court Are Different Courts

If your paperwork or citation shows that the case is filed in Tulsa County District Court, this guide is a good place to begin. A case filed in Tulsa Municipal Court is handled in a different court system, with different jurisdiction and procedures.

Henson Law Firm represents clients in both courts, but it is important to identify which court actually has the case. If your paperwork or citation says Tulsa Municipal Court rather than Tulsa County District Court, the firm's Tulsa Municipal Court resource addresses that court separately.

What Happens After a Tulsa County Criminal Case Is Filed?

The next court event depends on the type and stage of the case. The Tulsa County Criminal Division uses both District Judges and Special Judges, with different judges assigned to felony dockets, misdemeanor proceedings, arraignments, preliminary hearings, trials, sentencing, driver’s license appeals, expungement matters, and specialty court dockets. A criminal case may appear before more than one judge as it moves through the court system.

Within the Criminal Division are various dockets that handle felony proceedings, misdemeanor proceedings, arraignments, preliminary hearings, trials, sentencing, driver’s license appeals, expungement hearings, Drug and DUI Court, Mental Health Court, Veterans Court, and domestic violence dockets. Two people charged with the same offense can have very different upcoming court settings depending on where their cases are in the process and which docket is handling the next proceeding.

District Judges and Special Judges Handle Different Parts of Criminal Cases

District Judges and Special Judges are both judges of the Oklahoma District Court, but they do not necessarily handle the same proceedings. District Judges have general jurisdiction, while Special Judges exercise more limited authority assigned by Oklahoma law and by the organization of the Tulsa County court system.

In a felony case, Special Judges commonly handle the early stages of the prosecution. Those proceedings include arraignment, bond matters, and the preliminary hearing, where the State must establish that there is probable cause to believe a felony was committed and that the defendant committed it.

If the defendant is bound over for trial after the preliminary hearing, the felony case proceeds before an assigned District Judge. The District Judge handles the later stages of the felony prosecution, which includes District Court Arraignment, Motion to Quash hearings, pretrial motions, plea proceedings, jury or nonjury trials, and sentencing.

Misdemeanor cases follow a different path because there is no preliminary hearing in a misdemeanor prosecution. Special Judges hear misdemeanor cases and can handle the proceedings from arraignment through motions, plea proceedings, trial, and sentencing.

Special Judges also handle other cases assigned to them within the Tulsa County court system, including arraignment and preliminary hearing dockets and driver’s license appeals. The exact assignment depends on the type of case and the docket involved.

Specialty court proceedings do not fit into a simple rule that every matter is always handled by either a District Judge or a Special Judge. Tulsa County uses specialty and therapeutic court dockets that include Drug Court, DUI Court, Mental Health Court, Veterans Court, domestic violence proceedings, and other specialized dockets, and those assignments can involve District Judges or Special Judges.

Expungement cases are assigned to judges with criminal dockets, and the particular judge handling the proceeding depends on the random assignment implemented when the expungement petition was filed.

A defendant can appear before more than one judge during the life of the same criminal case, particularly in a felony prosecution. That is why seeing three different judges during the proceedings is not unusual: one judge at arraignment, another judge at preliminary hearing, and then the district judge who will preside over the trial or sentencing.

The most useful starting point is the actual docket and the most recent court paperwork. Confirm the case number, the next court date, and the type of setting instead of assuming that every appearance is a trial or that every criminal case follows the same sequence.

Judges Relevant to Criminal Cases in Tulsa County

District Judges

Honorable David Guten, District Judge, Criminal Docket B
Honorable Dawn Moody, District Judge, Criminal Docket C
Honorable Sharon Holmes, District Judge, Criminal Docket D
Honorable Doug Drummond, District Judge, Criminal Docket E
Honorable Michelle B. Keely, District Judge, Criminal Docket F
Honorable Richard Hathcoat, District Judge, Felony Domestic Violence (FDV) Docket
Honorable Kelly Greenough, District Judge, BIP Compliance Docket

Special Judges

Honorable Kasey Baldwin, Special Judge, Preliminary Hearings
Honorable April Seibert, Special Judge, Preliminary Hearings
Honorable Janay Clougherty, Special Judge, General Misdemeanors
Honorable Greg Lavender, Special Judge, Arraignments and Misdemeanor Domestic Violence
Honorable Travis Horton, Special Judge, Drug Court, DUI Court, and Mental Health Court
Honorable Shannon Taylor, Special Judge, Bond Docket and Driver's License Appeals

If Someone Is in the Tulsa County Jail

The David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center, located at 300 N. Denver Ave., is the Tulsa County jail. The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office provides an online inmate search and other jail information for families trying to determine whether someone is in custody. Here is that link: https://community.365labs.com/f160b8ff-b432-4575-ad6d-6fddac1b1aaa/inmatelist

Family members frequently have to begin looking for an attorney while the person who was arrested has limited ability to make calls or gather information. A spouse, parent, adult child, or other family member can contact Henson Law Firm with the person's name and whatever case or arrest information is available, and we can begin with what you know.

Before the Next Tulsa County Court Date

Check the most recent court paperwork and docket before the scheduled appearance. Keep the case number, charging documents, bond paperwork, and any discovery or other records that have been provided together so they can be reviewed when necessary.

Do not assume that an old courtroom assignment, hearing date, or description of a court setting is still current. Court assignments and schedules can change, so the current docket and the attorney handling the case are better sources for what is actually expected at the next appearance.

If You Are Out of Jail on Bond

Read the bond and release conditions carefully and follow them while the case is pending. Conditions involving contact with another person, travel, testing, supervision, weapons, or other restrictions should be addressed before taking an action that could create an additional problem.

An allegation that a bond condition was violated can create issues separate from defending the original charge. The actual bond order and facts surrounding the alleged violation need to be reviewed rather than assuming that the same rules apply in every case.

If Police or Investigators Want to Question You

A pending Tulsa County case does not prevent investigators from trying to obtain additional statements or evidence. If law enforcement wants to question you about the alleged offense or a new offense, you should decline to answer substantive investigative questions and ask to speak with your attorney.

Trying to explain your side of the case before you know what evidence has been collected can make the situation harder to defend. Statements made during an investigation will become evidence, even when the person speaking believes the explanation will help.

Criminal Charges Henson Law Firm Handles in Tulsa County

The specific charge matters because each offense has its own legal requirements, possible consequences, and defense issues. Once the charge is identified, the page for that offense can explain those issues in more detail.

Henson Law Firm represents clients in a broad range of Tulsa County criminal cases, including serious felonies and misdemeanors. Related information includes:

The fact that a case is filed in Tulsa County tells you where the case is being handled. The charge itself determines what the prosecution must prove and which factual, evidentiary, and legal issues need to be evaluated.

Useful Tulsa County Court and Custody Resources

The Tulsa County District Court website provides information about the courthouse, Criminal Division, local court rules, court administration, and court contacts. OSCN provides online access to Tulsa County District Court dockets and case information.

The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office provides information about the David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center and an online inmate search. These resources can help a defendant or family member identify the case and custody situation before speaking with an attorney.

Henson Law Firm Is Based in Downtown Tulsa

Henson Law Firm's office is located at 401 S. Boston Ave., Suite 500, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Most initial consultations begin by telephone, with in-person and video meetings available when appropriate.

You do not need to understand every docket entry or have every document before contacting the firm. The person's name, case number if available, charge if known, custody status, and next court date are usually enough to begin the conversation, but even if you do not have any of that information other than the person’s name, do not hesitate to contact Rob to discuss the case.

Learn More About Where We Practice

Tulsa County is one of the courts where Rob represents people facing criminal charges. Henson Law Firm also handles appropriate criminal matters in other Northeast Oklahoma district courts, municipal courts, and the Cherokee Nation and Muscogee (Creek) Nation courts.

For information about those courts, see Where We Practice. The individual court guides provide the more detailed court and jurisdiction information for that specific court.

Talk With Henson Law Firm About a Tulsa County Criminal Case

If you or someone you care about has a criminal case pending in Tulsa County District Court, call Henson Law Firm at 918-551-8995 or send a message through the website. The initial consultation is free, and a family member can make the first contact when the person facing the charge is in jail or otherwise unable to call easily.

Honest Advice. Strategic Defense.