Oklahoma § 21-853 Desertion of wife or child under 15 a felony.

Oklahoma Statutes

§ 21-853 — Desertion of wife or child under 15 a felony.

Oklahoma § 21-853

Title 21Crimes And Punishments

This text of Oklahoma § 21-853 (Desertion of wife or child under 15 a felony.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Okla. Stat. tit. 21, § 21-853 (2026).

Text

Every person who shall without good cause abandon his wife in destitute or necessitous circumstances and neglect and refuse to maintain or provide for her, or who shall abandon his or her minor child or children under the age of fifteen (15) years and willfully neglect or refuse to maintain or provide for such child or children, shall be deemed guilty of a Class B4 felony offense and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for any period of time not less than one (1) year or more than ten (10) years.

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Every person who shall without good cause abandon his wife in destitute or necessitous circumstances and neglect and refuse to maintain or provide for her, or who shall abandon his or her minor child or children under the age of fifteen (15) years and willfully neglect or refuse to maintain or provide for such child or children, shall be deemed guilty of a Class B4 felony offense and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for any period of time not less than one (1) year or more than ten (10) years.

Legislative History

Added by Laws 1915, c. 149, § 1. Amended by Laws 1923, c. 78, p. 144, § 2, emerg. eff. March 28, 1923; Laws 1997, c. 133, § 253, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 1999, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 5, § 157, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 2025, c. 486, § 105, eff. Jan. 1, 2026. NOTE: Laws 1998, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 2, § 23 amended the effective date of Laws 1997, c. 133, § 253 from July 1, 1998, to July 1, 1999.