Library: Policy
(a) Policy. Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) policy ensures all searches with a warrant, arrests with or without a warrant, and services of other pieces of criminal process are completed in compliance with constitutional guidelines and applicable statutes and case decisions.
(b) Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this Section, shall have the following meanings, unless the text clearly indicates otherwise:
- (1) "Criminal process" means writs, summonses, mandates, warrants, or other documents issuing from a court of law compelling a person to answer for a crime.
- (2) "Probable cause" means a reasonable amount of suspicion, supported by circumstances sufficiently strong enough to justify a prudent and cautious person's belief, that certain facts are probably true.
(c) Search warrants.
- (1) An agent may obtain a search warrant by presenting a completed affidavit to a judge. The affidavit for a search warrant must contain:
- (A) the subject's name and aliases, if known;
- (B) a description of the area to be searched;
- (C) a list of items for which the search is being made;
- (D) a synopsis of why the search warrant is needed; and
- (E) the probable cause for a search warrant.
- (A) have been used in the commission of a crime, are evidence of a crime, or are illegal; and
- (B) are located at the place stated in the warrant.
- (A) To obtain telephone approval to make a search, the agent follows the same procedures described in this Section with some exceptions.
- (i) The agent reads the affidavit verbatim to the judge by telephone.
- (ii) When approved by the judge, the agent prints the judge's name and the exact time and date of approval on the search warrant.
- (iii) As soon as possible after service of the warrant, the agent provides the affidavit for the search warrant and the actual search warrant to the judge. The judge signs the warrant and documents the exact date and time of the verbal approval on the warrant.
- (iv) The telephone call in which approval is given must be recorded with the permission of the judge. If permission is not given, then no telephonic warrant may be obtained. When permission is given, the recording of the call is later transcribed by a court reporter, and the transcription is deemed to be an affidavit under Oklahoma law.
- (i) The agent submits the affidavit to the judge by email. The submitted affidavit contains a notarized acknowledgement or the agent swears to the affidavit by telephone.
- (ii) When approved, the judge signs a printed copy of the affidavit and proposed warrant and transmits the documents back to the agent by email. The signed copy received by the agent constitutes a search warrant.
- (iii) As soon as possible after service of the warrant, the agent provides the printed copy of the affidavit received by the agent and the actual search warrant to the judge.
- (iv) When the judge approves the affidavit and proposed warrant by return email communication to the agent without transmitting a signed copy of the documents, the agent includes a printed copy of the approval email communication and the actual search warrant to the judge after service of the warrant.
- (v) When the judge modifies the submitted affidavit and proposed warrant, the agent does not attempt to serve the warrant until the judge transmits a copy of the modified document back to the agent by email.
(d) Searches.
- (1) Only a commissioned agent is authorized to serve search warrants.
- (2) Unless specified in the warrant, an agent must:
- (A) announce that he or she is a law enforcement officer and is present to serve a search warrant;
- (B) knock on the door before announcing himself or herself when the warrant is for a residence; and
- (C) only serve a search warrant during the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- (A) Suspected stolen items in plain view may be checked with the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) or other applicable authorities and may be seized when verified as stolen.
- (B) Illegal to possess items in plain view may be seized as evidence of a crime when found during the search of items listed on the search warrant.
- (A) the date and time warrant was obtained;
- (B) the date and time warrant was served;
- (C) a detailed list of seized items;
- (D) the name of the subject or owner of property where the items were found; and
- (E) the name of the person to whom a copy of the warrant and list of seized items was provided or a description of the place where the warrant was left.
(e) Arrest warrants.
- (1) An agent may obtain an arrest warrant by presenting a completed affidavit to a judge. The judge issues an arrest warrant when he or she is satisfied that an offense has been committed and the person named is the one who committed the offense.
- (2) A bench warrant is initiated by a judge directly and may be served and treated as any other arrest warrant.
- (3) Warrants for arrest must contain the:
- (A) subject's name or reasonable descriptors, when the name is unknown;
- (B) offense;
- (C) date issued;
- (D) city, town, or county where issued;
- (E) signature of a judge and the judge's office or title; and
- (F) times of day when the warrant may be served, when different from times statutorily allowed.
- (A) there is reasonable information that the subject is charged in another state with a crime punishable by death or imprisonment for a term exceeding one year; and
- (B) when arrested, the subject is taken before a judge with all practicable speed and a complaint is made against the subject under oath setting forth the grounds for the arrest.