Oklahoma Code § 21-747

§ 21-747.

Holder of hostage - Telephone communications.

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 21. Crimes and Punishments

A. The supervising law enforcement official having jurisdiction

in the geographical area where any hostage is held or any suspect is

barricaded who has probable cause to believe that the holder of any

hostage or that any suspect is committing a crime shall have the

authority to order a telephone company to arrange to cut, reroute or

divert telephone lines in any emergency in which any hostage is

being held or any suspect is barricaded, for the purpose of

preventing telephone communication by the holder of any hostage or

any barricaded suspect with any person other than a peace officer or

a person authorized by the peace officer.

B. The serving telephone company within the geographical area

of a law enforcement unit shall designate appropriate telephone

company management employees to provide, or cause to be provided,

all required assistance to law enforcement officials to carry out

the purposes of this section.

C. Good faith reliance on an order by a supervising law

enforcement official pursuant to this section, shall constitute a

complete defense to any civil or criminal action brought against a

telephone company, its agents or employees, as a result of

compliance with said order.

D. During any hostage or barricaded suspect situation as

provided in subsection A of this section it shall be unlawful for

any person to publicly disseminate, unless with the consent or at

the request of the law enforcement agency of the supervising law

enforcement officer, any information received from any hostage

holder or barricaded suspect when a cellular telephone has been used

to establish contact with such hostage holder or barricaded suspect.

Every person convicted of a violation of this subsection shall be

guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed Five

Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00).

Added by Laws 1979, c. 80, § 1, emerg. eff. April 20, 1979. Amended

by Laws 1998, c. 9, § 1, eff. July 1, 1998.