For a lot of first-time defendants in Oklahoma, a deferred sentence is the best realistic outcome short of a dismissal. It is also widely misunderstood, including by people who already have one.

The hours after an arrest are when people do the most damage to their own cases. Here is what matters in the first two days, for the person arrested and for the family trying to help.

If you're probably going to take a plea anyway, why hire a lawyer? Because in Oklahoma the fight usually starts before anyone mentions a plea, and it often starts in a jail cell.