Oklahoma County District Attorney speaking at Puterbaugh Ethics Lecture
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Media Contact: Terry Tush | Director, Marketing and Communications | 405-744-2703 | terry.tush@okstate.edu
Vicki Behenna, the newly elected district attorney for Oklahoma County and first woman to hold the position, will be the featured speaker for the Puterbaugh Ethics Lecture at 3 p.m., March 7, in the Student Union Theater on Oklahoma State University’s Stillwater campus. The presentation is open to the public.
Behenna’s visit is sponsored by the Center for Legal Studies and Business Ethics (CLSBE) in the Spears School of Business.
Behenna is a former assistant United States attorney. During her tenure with the Western District of Oklahoma, she tried numerous fraud cases including bank, wire and mail fraud. She was also responsible for the prosecution of complex public corruption cases.
Among her noteworthy prosecutions, she participated in the Oklahoma City bombing case against Timothy McVeigh. After leaving the U.S. Attorney’s office, Behenna entered private practice representing clients charged with a variety of state and federal crimes. Behenna’s long career, filled with complex investigation and litigation, has presented her with a unique perspective on the law and legal ethics. She has worked for both the prosecution and the accused.
“The OSU academic community will have a rare opportunity to hear from a person who will help shape the future of criminal justice in Oklahoma,” said Griffin Pivateau, Puterbaugh professor of legal studies and ethics in business and CLSBE affiliated faculty.
Behenna is an active speaker and a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, American Bar Association, Oklahoma Association of Women Lawyers and William J. Holloway Jr. American Inn of Court. She serves as an adjunct professor at Oklahoma City University School of Law instructing the trial practice and evidence course.
“The CLSBE is pleased to support the annual Puterbaugh Ethics Lecture,” said Laurie Lucas, director for the CLSBE and associate professor of legal studies. “A core mission in the center is to provide our students the chance to meet with leaders in Oklahoma who are willing to share their stories about the ethical challenges they face in their field and in society.”