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53	53	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
54	54
55	55	1st Session of the 58th Legislature (2021)
56	56
57	57	SENATE BILL 326 By: Daniels
58	58
59	59
60	60
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63	63	AS INTRODUCED
64	64
65	65	An Act relating to the Oklahoma Pleading Cod e;
66	66	amending 12 O.S. 2011, Sections 2008, as last amended
67	67	by Section 3, Chapter 9, 1st Ex. Se ss. O.S.L. 2013,
68	68	and 2009, as last amended by Section 5, Chapter 9,
69	69	1st Ex. Sess., O.S.L. 2013 (12 O.S. Supp. 20 20,
70	70	Sections 2008 and 2009), which relate to general
71	71	rules and special matters; modifying req uirements for
72	72	certain claims and averments; definin g term;
73	73	conforming language; making language gender neutral;
74	74	and providing an effective date .
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78	78
79	79	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
80	80	SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 12 O.S. 2011, Section 2008, as
81	81	last amended by Section 3, Chapter 9, 1st Ex. Sess., O.S.L. 2013 (12
82	82	O.S. Supp. 2020, Section 2008), is amended to read as follows:
83	83	Section 2008.
84	84	GENERAL RULES OF PLEADING
85	85	A. CLAIMS FOR RELIEF. A pleading which sets forth a claim for
86	86	relief, whether an original claim, coun terclaim, cross-claim or
87	87	third-party claim, shall contain:
88	88	1. A short and plain statement , made with particularity of all
89	89	material facts known to the pleading part y that support the claim
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141	141	showing, that creates a reasonable inference that the pleader is
142	142	plausibly entitled to relief. For the purposes of this paragraph, a
143	143	material fact is a fact that is necessary to the claim and without
144	144	which the claim could not be s upported. As to facts pleaded on
145	145	belief, the pleading party shall set forth with particular ity the
146	146	factual information supporting the pleading party ’s belief; and
147	147	2. A demand for judgment for the relief to which he or she
148	148	deems himself or herself entitled. Every pleading demanding relief
149	149	for damages in money in excess of the amount required fo r diversity
150	150	jurisdiction pursuant to Section 1332 of Title 28 of the United
151	151	States Code shall, without demanding any specific amount of money,
152	152	set forth only that t he amount sought as damages is in excess of the
153	153	amount required for diversity jurisdiction p ursuant to Section 1332
154	154	of Title 28 of the United States Code, except in actions sounding in
155	155	contract. Every pleading demanding relief for damages in money in
156	156	an amount that is required for diversity juri sdiction pursuant to
157	157	Section 1332 of Title 28 of th e United States Code or less shall
158	158	specify the amount of such damages sought to be recovered. Relief
159	159	in the alternative or of several different types may be demand ed.
160	160	B. DEFENSES; FORM OF DENIALS. A par ty shall state in short and
161	161	plain terms his or her defenses to each claim asserted and shall
162	162	admit or deny the averments upon which the adverse party relies. If
163	163	he or she is without knowledge or information suffici ent to form a
164	164	belief as to the truth of a n averment, he or she shall so state and
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216	216	this statement has the effect of a denial. Denials shall fairly
217	217	meet the substance of the averments denied. When a pleader intends
218	218	in good faith to deny only a part or a qu alification of an averment,
219	219	he or she shall specify so much of it as is true and material an d
220	220	shall deny only the remainder. Unless the pleader intends in good
221	221	faith to controvert all the averments of the preceding pleading, he
222	222	or she may make his or her denials as specific denials of designated
223	223	averments or paragraphs or he or she may generally deny all the
224	224	averments except such designated averments or paragraphs as he or
225	225	she expressly admits; but, when he or she does so intend to
226	226	controvert all its averm ents, he or she may do so by general deni al
227	227	subject to the obligations set forth in Section 2011 of this title.
228	228	C. AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES. In pleading to a preceding pleading,
229	229	a party shall set forth affirmatively:
230	230	1. Accord and satisfaction;
231	231	2. Arbitration and award;
232	232	3. Assumption of risk;
233	233	4. Contributory negligence;
234	234	5. Discharge in bankrup tcy;
235	235	6. Duress;
236	236	7. Estoppel;
237	237	8. Failure of consideration;
238	238	9. Fraud;
239	239	10. Illegality;
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291	291	11. Injury by fellow servant;
292	292	12. Laches;
293	293	13. License;
294	294	14. Payment;
295	295	15. Release;
296	296	16. Res judicata;
297	297	17. Statute of frauds;
298	298	18. Statute of limitations;
299	299	19. Waiver; and
300	300	20. Any other matter constituting an avoidance or affirmative
301	301	defense.
302	302	When a party has mistakenly designated a defense as a
303	303	counterclaim or a counterclaim as a defense, the court on terms, if
304	304	justice so requires, shall treat the pleading as if th ere had been a
305	305	proper designation.
306	306	D. EFFECT OF FAILURE TO DENY. Averments in a pleading to which
307	307	a responsive pleading is required, other than those as to the am ount
308	308	of damage, are admitted when not den ied in the responsive pleading.
309	309	Averments in a pleading to which no responsive pleading is required
310	310	or permitted shall be taken as denied or avoided.
311	311	E. PLEADING TO BE CONCISE AND DIRECT ALTERNATIVE STATEMENTS ;
312	312	CONSISTENCY INCONSISTENCY.
313	313	1. Each averment of a pleading shall be simple, concise, and
314	314	direct. No technical forms of pleadings or motions are required.
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366	366	2. A party may set forth, and at trial rely on, two or more
367	367	statements of a claim or defense alternate ly or hypothetically,
368	368	either in one count or defense or in separate counts or defenses.
369	369	When two or more statements are made in the alternative and one of
370	370	them if made independently would be sufficient, the pleading is not
371	371	made insufficient by the insuffi ciency of one or more of the
372	372	alternative statements. A party may also state as many separat e
373	373	claims or defenses as he or she has regardless of consistency and
374	374	whether based on legal or equitable grounds. All statements shall
375	375	be made subject to the obliga tions set forth in Section 2011 of this
376	376	title.
377	377	F. CONSTRUCTION OF PLEADINGS. All pleadings shall be so
378	378	construed as to do substantial justice.
379	379	SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 12 O.S. 2011, Section 2009, as
380	380	last amended by Section 5, Chapter 9, 1st Ex. Sess., O.S.L. 2013 (12
381	381	O.S. Supp. 2020, Section 2009), is amended to read as fol lows:
382	382	Section 2009.
383	383	PLEADING SPECIAL MATTERS
384	384	A. CAPACITY. It is not necessary to aver the capacity of a
385	385	party to sue or be sued or the authority of a party to sue or be
386	386	sued in a representative capacity or the legal existence of an
387	387	organized association of persons that is made a party. When a party
388	388	desires to raise an issue as to the legal existence of any party or
389	389	the capacity of any party to sue or be sued or th e authority of a
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441	441	party to sue or be sued in a representative capacity, he or she
442	442	shall do so by negative averment, which shall include such
443	443	supporting particulars as are peculiarly within the pleader ’s
444	444	knowledge, and he or she shall have the burden of proo f on that
445	445	issue.
446	446	B. FRAUD, MISTAKE, COND ITION OF THE MIND. In accordance with
447	447	paragraph 1 of subsection A of Section 2008 of this title, in all
448	448	averments of fraud or mistake, the circumstances constituting fraud
449	449	or mistake shall be stated with particular ity. Malice, intent,
450	450	knowledge, and other condition of mind of a person may be averred
451	451	generally.
452	452	C. CONDITIONS PRECEDENT. In pleading the performance or
453	453	occurrence of conditions precedent, if the pleading otherwise
454	454	satisfies the requirements of paragra ph 1 of subsection A of Section
455	455	2008 of this title, it is sufficient to aver generally that all
456	456	conditions precedent have been performed or have occurred. A denial
457	457	of performance or occurrence shall be made specifically and with
458	458	particularity.
459	459	D. OFFICIAL DOCUMENT OR ACT. In pleading an offici al document
460	460	or official act it is sufficient to ave r that the document was
461	461	issued or the act done in compliance with law.
462	462	E. JUDGMENT. In pleading a judgment or decision of a domestic
463	463	or foreign court, judicial or quasi-judicial tribunal, or of a board
464	464
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515	515	or officer, it is sufficient to aver the judgment or decision
516	516	without setting forth matter showing jurisdiction to render it.
517	517	F. TIME AND PLACE. For the purpose of testing the sufficiency
518	518	of a pleading, averments o f time and place are material and shall b e
519	519	considered like all other averments of material m atter.
520	520	G. SPECIAL DAMAGE. When items of special damage are claimed,
521	521	their nature shall be specifically stated. In actions where
522	522	exemplary or punitive damages are sought, the petition shall not
523	523	state a dollar amount for damages sought to be recovered but shall
524	524	state whether the amount of damages sought to be recovered is in
525	525	excess of or not in excess of the amount required for diversity
526	526	jurisdiction pursuant to Sec tion 1332 of Title 28 of the United
527	527	States Code.
528	528	H. MOTION TO CLARIFY DAMAGES. If the amou nt of damages sought
529	529	to be recovered by the plaintiff is less than the amount required
530	530	for diversity jurisdiction pursuant to Section 1332 of Title 28 of
531	531	the United States Code, the defendant may file, for purposes of
532	532	establishing diversity jurisdiction on ly, a Motion to Clarify
533	533	Damages prior to the pretrial order to require the plaintiff to show
534	534	by a preponderance of the evidence that the amount of damages, if
535	535	awarded, will not exceed the amount required f or diversity. If the
536	536	court finds that any damages awarded are more likely than not to
537	537	exceed the amount of damages required for diversity jurisdiction,
538	538	the plaintiff shall amend his or her pleadings in conformance with
539	539
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590	590	paragraph 2 of subsection A of Secti on 2008 of this title.
591	591	SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2021.
592	592
593	593	58-1-245 TEK 1/8/2021 4:29:08 PM

Oklahoma 2022 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB326 Compare Versions