A trial is a judicial examination of the issues, whether of law or fact, in an action.
§ 551.Trial Defined
Chapter 11: Trial · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified August 3, 2026
In one sentenceSection 551 defines a trial under Oklahoma's Code of Civil Procedure as a judicial examination of the issues of law or fact raised in an action, setting the term's meaning for the rest of Chapter 11.
Full Text of § 551
Amendment History
R.L. 1910, § 4988.
Plain-English Summary
Chapter 11 opens with a definition rather than a rule of procedure. A trial, under this section, is the judicial examination of whatever issues an action presents, whether those issues are questions of law or questions of fact. Everything that follows in the chapter -- how issues arise, who tries them, how a jury is picked, how a verdict comes in -- builds on this one sentence.
The definition doesn't distinguish jury trials from bench trials, or civil cases from any particular type of action. It covers the examination itself, leaving the rest of the chapter to sort out who conducts that examination and how.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Oklahoma law mean by a "trial" in a civil case?
Section 551 defines it as the judicial examination of the issues, whether of law or of fact, in an action.
Does this definition cover only jury trials?
No. The text doesn't single out juries; it covers the examination of issues generally, which the following sections then divide between judge and jury.
Where do the "issues" a trial examines come from?
Section 552 explains that issues arise from the pleadings, when one party asserts a fact or legal conclusion and the other disputes it.
Why does the Code bother defining "trial" at all?
The definition anchors the rest of Chapter 11, which sets out who tries which issues, how juries are chosen, and how a verdict is reached.
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 definition of trialwhat is a trial under oklahoma civil procedure12 O.S. § 551judicial examination of issues oklahoma