All other issues of fact shall be tried by the court, subject to its power to order any issue or issues to be tried by jury, or referred as provided in this Code.
§ 557.Certain Issues of Fact Tried By Court
Chapter 11: Trial · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified August 3, 2026
In one sentenceSection 557 assigns every issue of fact not covered by Section 556's jury guarantee to the court, though the court may still send any such issue to a jury or refer it as the Code otherwise allows.
Full Text of § 557
Amendment History
R.L. 1910, § 4994.
Plain-English Summary
Section 556 guarantees a jury for fact issues in actions for money or specific real or personal property. Section 557 catches everything else: all other issues of fact go to the court. That default isn't absolute -- the court keeps the power to order any issue tried by a jury anyway, or to refer it, as other parts of the Code provide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which factual issues does an Oklahoma judge decide instead of a jury?
Any issue of fact that doesn't fall under Section 556's jury guarantee for money or property claims.
Can a judge still send a non-money issue to a jury?
Yes. Section 557 preserves the court's power to order any issue tried by a jury, even one that would otherwise go to the court.
How does this section relate to Section 556?
Section 556 sends money-and-property fact issues to a jury; Section 557 sends the remaining fact issues to the court by default.
What does "referred" mean in this section?
It points to the Code's reference procedure, an alternative to trial by court or jury for resolving certain issues.
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: issues tried by judge not jury oklahomaequitable claims no jury oklahoma12 O.S. § 557court discretion to order jury trial