Published: July 16, 2008 02:08 pm            

JeffCo native draws nod as new full-time assistant DA

A Jefferson County native returned to home turf early this month, when Carrie Hixon was named as the new assistant district attorney in District 5.

District Attorney Bret Burns said Hixon, a 28-year-old Ringling native, will cover Jefferson County’s entire docket, including juvenile cases, civil cases, felonies, misdemeanors, traffic tickets and wildlife cases.

“We are excited to have Carrie on our staff,” Burns said. “I think her background in rural Oklahoma and her work ethic will help her serve the citizens of our district well.”

Hixon will also cover Stephens County’s deprived juvenile docket as needed, Burns added.

Hixon became interested in law when she was a dispatcher for Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) while pursuing a criminal justice degree at Cameron University in Lawton.

“I have a lot of respect for law-enforcement officers and enjoyed working along side them,” she said. “So I knew I wanted to be a part of the process, but I didn’t want to be an actual police officer.”

Because of the experience dispatching for OHP, Hixon also came to know most of the patrol officers who patrol the streets in Stephens and Jefferson counties.

As Hixon continued studying criminal justice, she discovered her interest grew while taking undergraduate law classes. “So I decided to pursue law,” she said.

While at law school, Hixon ran into Burns during an internship at a district attorney’s office. Burns was an assistant district attorney at the time.

“I really enjoyed working for him and am glad to have the opportunity again,” she said. “I haven’t been on the job long, but it’s great. I couldn’t ask to work with better people. Bret has a good team.”

Before Hixon was hired to focus on Jefferson County, Burns had sent alternating assistant district attorneys to cover the docket.

“Hopefully, this will make it easier to provide greater consistency,” Hixon said.

She has been meeting law enforcement officers in Jefferson County, “But I haven’t met all the officers yet,” Hixon said. “Hopefully, I can make a difference. I like to feel like I am actually helping people.”

She resides in Ringling with her husband Zac, who works in the oil field, and their 1-year-old son Gage.

Hixon joins Burns team about a month after former Assistant District Attorney John Weedn left to work for a private legal defense firm in Miami.

        

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