Opinions

This document is an official order from the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, identifying changes made to Rule 3.5 C regarding the citation of authorities. The substantial amendments aim to standardize citation formats for legal opinions from the court and establish official guidelines for referencing these opinions, including those prior to and after the issuance of mandates. ### Key Points of the Amendment: 1. **Purpose of Amendment**: - To enhance clarity in legal citations by establishing a consistent format. 2. **Citation Format**: - Separate citation formats are provided for opinions before and after January 1, 1954. - Opinions in which mandates have issued prior to January 1, 1954, need both the official paragraph citation and Pacific Reporter citation, with additional mention of Oklahoma Criminal Reports. - For opinions issued after this date, there’s a focus on the official public domain format along with required citations to the Pacific Reporter. - New guidelines also specify citation styles for opinions issued for publication, including using the Oklahoma Bar Journal. 3. **Online Publication**: - Clarifies that opinions will be published online on the Oklahoma State Courts Network (OSCN) and will serve as the official version once mandates are issued. 4. **Citations to the United States Supreme Court**: - Clear guidelines are provided for citing U.S. Supreme Court cases with an emphasis on including pinpoint citations. 5. **Effective Date**: - The amendments become effective immediately as of the order date, December 5, 2019. ### Conclusion: This revision reflects the Court's commitment to improving legal documentation practices, ensuring legal professionals can accurately reference past cases in compliance with established standards. These changes will promote consistency in legal writing and enhance the clarity of legal references within the Oklahoma judicial system.