§ 3237.Failure to Make Or Cooperate In Discovery - Sanctions - Exception
Chapter 41: Discovery Code · Last amended November 1, 2017 · Last verified August 3, 2026
In one sentenceSets Oklahoma's discovery-enforcement machinery: motions to compel, contempt and case-dispositive sanctions for violating a discovery order, expense-shifting on most discovery motions, and a safe harbor against sanctions for electronically stored information lost through routine, good-faith system operation.
A.MOTION FOR ORDER COMPELLING DISCOVERY. A party, upon reasonable notice to other parties and all persons affected thereby, may apply for an order compelling discovery as follows:
1.APPROPRIATE COURT. An application for an order to a party may be made to the court in which the action is pending, or, on matters, relating to a deposition, to the district court in the county where the deposition is being taken. An application for an order to a deponent who is not a party shall be made to the district court in the county where the deposition is being taken or to the court in which the action is pending.
2.MOTION. If a deponent fails to answer a question propounded or submitted under Section 3230 or 3231 of this title, or a corporation or other entity fails to make a designation under paragraph 6 of subsection C of Section 3230 or subsection A of Section 3231 of this title, or a party fails to answer an interrogatory submitted under Section 3233 of this title, or if a party, in response to a request for inspection and copying submitted under Section 3234 of this title, fails to produce documents or respond that the inspection or copying will be permitted as requested or fails to permit the inspection or copying as requested, or if a party or witness objects to the inspection or copying of any materials designated in a subpoena issued pursuant to subsection A of Section 2004.1 of this title, the discovering party may move for an order compelling an answer, or a designation, or an order compelling inspection and copying in accordance with the request or subpoena. The motion must include a statement that the movant has in good faith conferred or attempted to confer either in person or by telephone with the person or party failing to make the discovery in an effort to secure the information or material without court action. When taking a deposition on oral examination, the proponent of the question may complete or adjourn the examination before applying for an order.
When a claim of privilege or other protection from discovery is made in response to any request or subpoena for documents, and the court, in its discretion, determines that a privilege log is necessary in order to determine the validity of the claim, the court shall order the party claiming the privilege to prepare and serve a privilege log upon the terms and conditions deemed appropriate by the court. The privilege log shall be served upon all other parties. Unless otherwise ordered by the court, the privilege log shall include, as to each document for which a claim of privilege or other protection from discovery has been made, the following:
The court may conduct an in camera review of the documents for which the privilege or other protection from discovery is claimed. If the court denies the motion in whole or in part, it may make such protective order as it would have been empowered to make on a motion made pursuant to subsection C of Section 3226 of this title.
3.EVASIVE OR INCOMPLETE ANSWER. For purposes of this subsection, an evasive or incomplete answer is to be treated as a failure to answer.
4.AWARD OF EXPENSES OF MOTION. If the motion is granted, the court shall, after opportunity for hearing, require the party or deponent whose conduct necessitated the motion or the party or attorney advising such conduct or both of them to pay to the moving party the reasonable expenses incurred in obtaining the order, including attorney fees, unless the court finds that the opposition to the motion was substantially justified or that other circumstances make an award of expenses unjust. If the motion is denied, the court shall, after opportunity for hearing, require the moving party or the attorney advising the motion or both of them to pay to the party or deponent who opposed the motion the reasonable expenses incurred in opposing the motion, including attorney fees, unless the court finds that the making of the motion was substantially justified or that other circumstances make an award of expenses unjust. If the motion is granted in part and denied in part, the court may apportion the reasonable expenses incurred in relation to the motion among the parties and persons in a just manner.
1.SANCTIONS BY COURT IN COUNTY WHERE DEPOSITION IS TAKEN. If a deponent fails to be sworn or to answer a question after being directed to do so by the court in the county in which the deposition is being taken, the failure may be considered a contempt of that court.
2.SANCTION BY COURT IN WHICH ACTION IS PENDING. If a party or an officer, director or managing agent of a party or a person designated under paragraph 6 of subsection C of Section 3230 or subsection A of Section 3231 of this title to testify on behalf of a party fails to obey an order to provide or permit discovery, including an order made under subsection A of this section or Section 3235 of this title, or if a party fails to obey an order entered under subsection F of Section 3226 of this title, the court in which the action is pending may make such orders in regard to the failure as are just. Such orders may include the following:
a.an order that the matters regarding which the order was made or any other designated facts shall be taken to be established for the purposes of the action in accordance with the claim of the party obtaining the order,
b.an order refusing to allow the disobedient party to support or oppose designated claims or defenses, or prohibiting him from introducing designated matters in evidence,
c.an order striking out pleadings or parts thereof, or staying further proceedings until the order is obeyed, or dismissing the action or proceedings or any part thereof, or rendering a judgment by default against the disobedient party,
d.in lieu of or in addition to the orders provided for in subparagraphs a through c of this paragraph, an order treating as a contempt of court the failure to obey any orders except an order to submit to a physical or mental examination,
e.where a party has failed to comply with an order under subsection A of Section 3235 of this title requiring him to produce another for examination, such orders as are listed in subparagraphs a, b and c of this paragraph, unless the party failing to comply shows that he is unable to produce such person for examination,
f.if a person, not a party, fails to obey an order entered under subsection C of Section 3234 of this title, the court may treat the failure to obey the order as contempt of court.
In lieu of or in addition to the orders provided for in this paragraph, the court shall require the party failing to obey the order or the attorney advising the party or both to pay the reasonable expenses, including attorney fees, caused by the failure, unless the court finds that the failure was substantially justified or that other circumstances make an award of expenses unjust.
C.EXPENSES ON EXAMINATION OF PROPERTY. The reasonable expense of making the property available under Section 3234 of this title shall be paid by the requesting party, and at the time of the taxing of costs in the case, the court may tax such expenses as costs, or it may apportion such expenses between the parties, or it may provide that they are an expense of the requesting party.
D.EXPENSES ON FAILURE TO ADMIT. If a party fails to admit the genuineness of any document or the truth of any matter as requested under Section 3236 of this title, and if the party requesting the admission thereafter proves the genuineness of the document or the truth of the matter, the party may apply to the court for an order requiring the other party to pay him or her the reasonable expenses incurred in making that proof, including reasonable attorney fees. The court shall make the order unless it finds that:
1.The request was held objectionable pursuant to subsection C of Section 3236 of this title; or
2.The admission sought was of no substantial importance; or
3.The party failing to admit had reasonable ground to believe that he or she might prevail on the matter; or
4.There was other good reason for the failure to admit.
E.FAILURE OF PARTY TO ATTEND AT OWN DEPOSITION OR SERVE ANSWER TO INTERROGATORIES OR RESPOND TO REQUEST FOR INSPECTION. If a party or an officer, director or managing agent of a party or a person designated under paragraph 6 of subsection C of Section 3230 or subsection A of Section 3231 of this title to testify on behalf of a party fails:
1.To appear before the officer who is to take the deposition, after being served with a proper notice; or
2.To serve answers or objections to interrogatories submitted under Section 3233 of this title, after proper service of the interrogatories; or
3.To serve a written response to a request for inspection submitted under Section 3234 of this title, after proper service of the request, the court in which the action is pending on motion may make such orders in regard to the failure as are just, and among others it may take any action authorized under subparagraphs a, b and c of paragraph 2 of subsection B of this section. In lieu of or in addition to any order, the court shall require the party failing to act or the attorney advising him or her or both to pay the reasonable expenses, including attorney fees, caused by the failure, unless the court finds that the failure was substantially justified or that other circumstances make an award of expenses unjust.
The failure to act as described in this subsection may not be excused on the ground that the discovery sought is objectionable unless the party failing to act has applied for a protective order as provided by subsection C of Section 3226 of this title.
F.FAILURE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FRAMING OF A DISCOVERY PLAN. If a party or a party's attorney fails to participate in good faith in the framing of a discovery plan by agreement as is required by subsection F of Section 3226 of this title, the court may, after opportunity for hearing, require such party or his or her attorney to pay to any other party the reasonable expenses, including attorney fees, caused by the failure.
G.ELECTRONICALLY STORED INFORMATION. Absent exceptional circumstances, a court may not impose sanctions on a party for failure to provide electronically stored information lost as a result of the routine, good-faith operation of an electronic information system.
Amendment History
Amended by Laws 2017, c. 378, s. 5, eff. 11/1/2017.
Added by Laws 1982, HB 1912, c. 198, § 14; Amended by Laws 1989, HB 1154, c. 129, §13, eff. 11/1/1989;
Renumbered from 12 O.S. § 3214 by Laws 1989, HB 1154, c. 129, §14, eff. 11/1/1989; Amended by Laws
1996, HB 2122, c. 61, §8, eff. 11/1/1996; Amended by Laws 2002, HB 1939, c. 468, §75, eff. 11/1/2002;
Amended by Laws 2010, SB 2039, c. 50, §8, eff. 11/1/2010.
Plain-English Summary
Section 3237, Oklahoma's counterpart to FRCP 37, gives the rest of the Discovery Code teeth. A party facing an evasive or incomplete answer, a refusal to designate a corporate witness, an unanswered interrogatory, or a refusal to produce documents or permit inspection may move to compel, after certifying a good-faith attempt to resolve the dispute without court action. Where a party claims privilege or protection over documents, the court may require a privilege log identifying the author, recipients, date, length, nature, and basis for withholding each document, and may review the documents in camera. On nearly every such motion, the court must shift the reasonable expenses, including attorney fees, to whichever side loses, unless that side's position was substantially justified or an award would be unjust.
Violating a court order carries heavier consequences. A deponent who refuses to be sworn or to answer after the deposition-county court directs it may be held in contempt of that court. For broader violations -- disobeying an order to provide discovery, an order under Section 3235's examination procedure, or a discovery-conference order under Section 3226(F) -- the court where the action is pending may deem facts established, bar the disobedient party from supporting or opposing designated claims or defenses, strike pleadings, stay the case, dismiss it or any part of it, enter a default judgment, or treat the violation as contempt, though contempt isn't available for refusing a physical or mental examination. Expense-shifting again follows automatically unless the failure was substantially justified or unjust to penalize.
The remaining subsections round out the scheme: a party who fails to attend their own deposition, answer interrogatories, or respond to a production request faces the same range of sanctions, and can't excuse the failure as objectionable discovery unless they'd already sought a protective order; a party or attorney who won't participate in good faith in framing a discovery plan under Section 3226(F) may be ordered to pay the other side's reasonable expenses; and a party who denies a request for admission that the other side later proves true owes the reasonable expenses of that proof, including attorney fees, unless the denial fell within one of the statute's listed exceptions. Finally, absent exceptional circumstances, a court may not sanction a party for electronically stored information lost through the routine, good-faith operation of an electronic information system.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I do if the other side won't answer my discovery?
Move to compel under subsection A, but the motion must include a statement that you conferred, or tried in good faith to confer, with the party failing to make the discovery first.
What sanctions can a court impose for violating a discovery order?
Under subsection B, the court can deem facts established, bar claims, defenses, or evidence, strike pleadings, stay the case, dismiss it, enter a default judgment, or treat the violation as contempt -- except contempt isn't available for refusing a physical or mental examination.
Do I automatically get attorney fees if I win a motion to compel?
The court must require the losing party or attorney, or both, to pay your reasonable expenses, including attorney fees, unless the opposition was substantially justified or an award would be unjust.
Can I be sanctioned for losing electronically stored information?
Not absent exceptional circumstances, if the loss resulted from the routine, good-faith operation of an electronic information system.
What if I deny something the other side later proves true?
They can recover the reasonable expenses of proving it, including attorney fees, unless your objection was proper, the admission wasn't important, you had reasonable grounds to believe you'd prevail, or there was other good reason for the denial.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes, enacted by the Oklahoma Legislature.
Last verified August 3, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as:oklahoma discovery sanctions motion to compel12 O.S. § 3237attorney fees discovery violation oklahomaesi safe harbor sanctions oklahoma