No witness is privileged to refuse to testify to any fact, or produce any paper, respecting which he shall be examined by either house of the Legislature, or by any committee of either house, upon the ground that his testimony to such fact or his production of such paper may tend to disgrace or otherwise render him infamous.
§ 415.Disgrace As Ground For Refusal to Testify
Chapter 9: Witnesses · Last amended June 1, 1957 · Last verified August 3, 2026
In one sentenceSection 415 bars a witness before either house of the Legislature or a committee from refusing to testify to a fact or produce a paper on the ground that doing so might disgrace or render the witness infamous.
Full Text of § 415
Amendment History
Laws 1957, HB 831, p. 168, § 5, emerg. eff. 6/1/1957.
Plain-English Summary
A witness can't dodge a legislative inquiry just by pointing to embarrassment. Section 415 removes disgrace as an excuse: no witness may refuse to testify to a fact, or produce a paper, on the ground that the testimony or the paper might tend to disgrace or otherwise render the witness infamous.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a witness refuse to testify before an Oklahoma legislative committee just because the answer would be embarrassing?
No. Section 415 removes the risk of disgrace or infamy as a valid ground for refusing to testify or produce a paper.
Does this section override the privilege against self-incrimination?
No, it addresses only disgrace or infamy as a ground for refusal; the privilege against self-incrimination and its immunity procedure are addressed separately in Section 412.
Does the disgrace exception apply to producing papers as well as testifying?
Yes. The statute covers both testifying to a fact and producing a paper, so a witness can't refuse either on the ground of disgrace or infamy.
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
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