Oklahoma courts lack a uniform way to track and file sealed cases and records, according to a Tulsa World analysis.

County court clerks across the state say the number of cases with a sealed record range from none to 300 during the past five years.

The Tulsa World contacted the elected court clerks in the state's 77 counties to determine how many cases in the past five years have received at least one order from a judge to close a record and to find where those documents are located.

Only one clerk — Robert Morales of Comanche County — did not return repeated messages requesting the information.

"There are 77 ways to do this," said Deborah Hodenfield, Cotton County court clerk. "The statute does not address it."

Nearly all court clerks say judges do not often issue an order to seal a document.

However, only seven court clerks track how many cases or documents are closed by a judge.

In most cases, records filed in criminal proceedings, civil complaints and other court actions such as probates and protective orders are considered available for inspection to the general public. Judges have the discretion to seal an open record.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, Canadian, LeFlore, Cotton and Wagoner counties report 831 cases have at least one sealed record since 2003. Garfield County reports 39 documents sealed during that time.

Tulsa, Oklahoma and Wagoner county clerks were the only ones able to provide a list of case numbers to the Tulsa World.

"It's not rocket science," said Tulsa Court Clerk Sally Howe Smith. "We try to keep things as simple as we can. It's a simple matter of going and counting them."

Oklahoma County Deputy Court Clerk Tim Rhodes said the office compiled the case numbers after a request from the Tulsa World.

"But it helps us too. It's not a bad idea to have a list of those files for our use," Rhodes said. "It's interesting to us because it's our business."

LeFlore County Court Clerk Melba Steelman Hall created a computer code to designate cases with a sealed record to prevent an error when employees scan records into the system.

"We could find it pretty easily," Hall said. "It's also a way that if a judge wanted to see that record, we could go to the computer and search for those cases and get the document.

"It may not be the best way, but it works for us."

Hodenfield went a step further to code what type of document is sealed, such as financial or health. She said the practice has not been challenging.

"Once you get used to it, it's OK," Hodenfield said. "We have a template in our computer and it makes it easy."

In general, records being sealed in Cotton County are health records, Social Security numbers and personal financial records, Hodenfield said.

"I know everyone is shocked there are confidential records in our Open Records Act," Hodenfield said. "But when you stop to think about it, you wouldn't want that information out there about you either. I wouldn't want my health, finances or social security out there."

For court clerks who do not track sealed records, most can give an educated guess on a yearly or monthly average. Eight clerks would not give an estimate.

"We never looked to see how often a judge seals a case or orders a document sealed in a case," said Cleveland County Court Clerk Rhonda Hall. "We don't have that kind of time."

Blaine County Court Clerk Rebekah Haney-Martin estimates having 20 sealed records since 2003 in a locked filing cabinet. She declined to count the documents.

"I could, but I am not inclined to do that," said Haney-Martin.

'Should be a requirement'

'On the same page'