Payne County ADA Deborah Vincent
Assistant District Attorneys (ADA’s) have a tremendous responsibility in that they keep all of us safe. ADA’s enforce the affidavits or sworn testimony of law enforcement officers. For instance, if an officer wrote a report and there was no District Attorney or their assistants to prosecute, nothing would ever go in front of a judge. Therefore it is important that even keeled, knowledgeable, respectable, decent people hold these positions. If you had someone of bad moral character as an ADA, innocent people would suffer.
Deborah Vincent (Vincent) is an Assistant District Attorney (ADA) for Payne county and works for Laura Thomas. Payne County is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and is home to the Oklahoma State University and their ‘Cowboys.’ In this large college town, even the prosecutors are not immune from bad decisions. ADA Vincent has a problem paying her bills and its finally catching up to her. Do we not pay prosecutors enough or is it that we do not in a state like Oklahoma strive to make sure we only hire people with moral integrity. Sadly it is probably both. In June 2022 foreclosure proceedings were initiated against Vincent for failing to pay her mortgage.
When researching Vincent for this article it appears as though in 2013 and the same thing in 2016 the Oklahoma Tax Commission instituted tax warrants on Vincent for failing to pay her State income tax. It appears as though during this time Vincent was employed full time as an Assistant District Attorney. All this begs the question, do you want someone who can not pay her bills in charge of your criminal justice system. Or, is the problem that those willing to easily choose power over pay might be psychologically unfit for the position for other reasons.
Recently Vincent lost at trial with her co-counsel ADA Erica Garruccio wherein both of them traveled from Stillwater to Tulsa Oklahoma (for years) to prosecute a man. The man, found not guilty by the jury, was wrongfully accused of rape by a Tulsa County prosecutor who admitted to the jury that she ‘had never lived alone before’ and ‘thought everyone drinks this much.’
Ms. Ashley Swindell Nix (Nix) was hot off a divorce and trying to avoid an ‘HR complaint’ text messages indicated when read to the jury. This HR complaint, or Human Relations, was a threat sent by her supervisors wife after she saw photos of the young ADA / alleged victim on her husbands phone. A good prosecutor would acknowledge that they do not have a case here and dismiss the matter.
This is not what they got with Ms. Vincent. Vincent even asked a jury to sentence the man after such startling revelations from the witness stand, it was truly shocking. Oklahoma attorneys like other attorneys in general need to be held to the same ethical standards. We deserve individuals in trust not losing their home and constantly being chased by the government for their money. They should pay taxes, mortgages and not present false or tampered testimony to a tribunal. Vincent knew Nix was lying and failed to act.
Likewise, a man’s life is ruined because Vincent could not admit she did not have a ‘good’ case. She is not worthy of the position she holds and she should be let go. Vincent had a duty to dismiss that case once she heard the alleged victim admit to lying. She did not.
Vincent should be admonished for failing to disclose that her alleged victim in the case, Ms. Nix, had a pre-existing relationship with the lead Detective Darin Ehrenrich. Ehrenrich admitted in cross examination to texting Ms. Nix just (5) five days prior to the alleged rape after immediately saying he did not know Ms. Nix ‘well.’ It is alleged through a confidential source that Nix and Ehrenrich actually had a romantic prior relationship.
All of these ethical issues combined with her financial issues, Ms. Vincent should be suspended from the practice of law if not entirely disbarred.
