MY LITTLE GREEN BOOK

My Little Green Book is published by the Oklahoma Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, and is provided to OCDLA members with their membership. It is a thumbnail sketch of statutes, provisions for felonies and misdemeanors in Oklahoma including citations, fines, penitentiary and county jail times. A copy of the table of contents is reprinted below along with a sample section of My Little Green Book.

Table of Contents

OCDLA Officers..................................................................... 1

Award Recipients.................................................................... 2

Oklahoma Constitution............................................................ 4

U.S. Constitution...................................................................... 8

Alford Pleas (Guilty Plea)....................................................... 9

Batson Challenge (Peremptory Challenges).......................... 11

Brill Bail Bond Hearing Procedure....................................... 12

Bruton Issues (Co-Defendant Statements)............................ 18

Burks Notice (Evidence of Other Crimes)............................ 20

Co-conspirator Statements (Bourjaily rule).......................... 22

Co-conspirator (James and Harjo hearings)......................... 24

Confessions of a Defendant (Jackson v. Denno hearing)...... 25

Consequences of a Felony Conviction.................................. 26

Criminal Discovery Code (Lafortune)................................... 27

DUI Tips and Timelines......................................................... 29

DUI Tips for Standardized Field Sobriety Tests.................... 31

Enhancements (Second and Subsequent Offenses)............... 34

Ineffective Assistance of Counsel (Strickland)..................... 35

Jail House Snitches: Procedure and Instructions (Dodd)...... 36

Mental Retardation Issues..................................................... 38

Search Warrants.................................................................... 40

Sentencing—DOC Special Programs..................................... 43

Sentencing—Pit Falls............................................................. 45

Sentencing—Powers of the Court......................................... 47

Sentencing—Punishment Not Shown in Statute.................... 50

Sentencing—Twelve Month Review of J&S......................... 52

Sentencing—Twenty Deadly Sins (85% Crimes).................. 54

Sentencing—Violent Offender List (57 O.S. § 571).............. 55

Sentencing—Youthful Offender List..................................... 58

Sentencing—Youthful Offender: Murder 1.......................... 60

Statute of Limitations Sentencing.......................................... 61

Telephone Numbers—State................................................... 64

Telephone Numbers—Federal............................................... 67

Telephone Numbers—Cities and Counties............................ 70

Misdemeanor Index............................................................... 71

General Punishment Guidelines............................................. 99

Felony Index........................................................................ 101

Oklahoma County Bond Schedule....................................... 285

OCDLA Membership Application....................................... 303

Measurement Conversion Table.................. Inside Back Cover

Grounds for Objections.......................................... Back Cover

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Sample Page from My Little Green Book

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ALFORD PLEA

North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25, 91 S. Ct. 160 (1970)

GUILTY PLEA WHERE THE DEFENDANT
MAINTAINS HIS INNOCENCE.

Alford was indicted for First Degree Murder. He was facing a death sentence if found guilty. Alford and his attorney consulted, and he entered a plea of guilty to Second Degree Murder, but maintained he was innocent. The goofy defendant filed a post-conviction relief petition claiming the plea of guilty was invalid because it was a product of fear and coercion. The U.S. States Supreme Court held as follows:

HEADNOTE 6: Express admission of guilt is not constitutional requisite to imposition of criminal penalty, and an individual accused of crime may voluntarily, knowingly and understandingly consent to imposition of prison sentence even if he is unwilling or unable to admit his participation in acts constituting crime.

HEADNOTE 7: Guilty pleas coupled with claims of innocence should not be accepted unless there is factual basis for plea and until judge has inquired into and sought to resolve conflict between waiver of trial and claim of innocence.

King v. State, 1976 OK CR 103, 553 P.2d 529. Oklahoma procedure for guilty plea:

If the trial court determines the defendant is competent, he must then advise the defendant:

1. That he has a right to court-appointed counsel, if the defendant appears without counsel;

2. That he has a right to trial by jury;

3. That he has a right to be confronted by witness who would testify against him;

4. That he has a privilege against compulsory self-incrimination guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment;

5. The nature and consequences of such plea, including the minimum and maximum punishment for the crime,

6. The court is not bound by DA recommendations or any plea agreement.

An affirmative waiver of these requirements must be reflected in the record prior to the acceptance of a plea of guilty.

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Oklahoma burden in an Alford situation: The findings of the trial court should be enunciated on the record for review to preclude any question on appeal. This same procedure is to be followed in determining the validity of a plea of nolo contendre. The record is reviewed in light of the “totality of circumstances.” Ocampo v. State, 1989 OK CR 38, 778 P.2d 920.