Background
Sandra Jean Steffen, an Oklahoma-licensed attorney, faced disciplinary proceedings after pleading guilty to two separate misdemeanor counts of Driving a Motor Vehicle While Under the Influence of Alcohol — Aggravated, in Canadian County, Oklahoma (Case Nos. CM-2025-346 and CM-2025-347). The convictions arose from two distinct incidents. Steffen received a concurrent five-year deferred sentence with supervision by the District Attorney’s Office for 18 months.
The Oklahoma Bar Association, acting pursuant to Rules 7.1 and 7.2 of the Rules Governing Disciplinary Proceedings (RGDP), forwarded certified copies of the relevant court documents — including the Information, Probable Cause Affidavits, Judgment and Sentence, and conditions of the plea — to the Oklahoma Supreme Court for disciplinary review.
The Court’s Holding
Upon receipt of the certified conviction documents, the Oklahoma Supreme Court invoked Rule 7.3 of the RGDP and entered an Order of Immediate Interim Suspension, removing Steffen from the practice of law effective June 1, 2026, pending further order of the Court. All justices concurred.
Consistent with Rule 7.4 of the RGDP, the Court also set a show-cause schedule: Steffen was ordered to respond in writing by June 15, 2026, stating whether she contests the imposition of final discipline, requests a hearing, or wishes to submit mitigating evidence. The OBA was given until June 29, 2026, to file its response.
Key Takeaways
- Under Rule 7.3 of the RGDP, a guilty plea or conviction — even on a deferred sentence — triggers the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s authority to immediately suspend an attorney pending final disciplinary disposition.
- Two aggravated DUI misdemeanor convictions on separate occasions were sufficient to invoke immediate interim suspension without a prior hearing.
- The interim suspension is not the final disciplinary order; Steffen retains the right to show cause, request a hearing, and submit mitigating evidence before a final sanction is imposed.
- The OBA’s role is ministerial at the interim stage — it forwards certified conviction records to the Court, which then acts by order in conference.
Why It Matters
This order illustrates how swiftly Oklahoma’s attorney discipline system can act when a lawyer is convicted of — or pleads guilty to — a criminal offense. Under the RGDP framework, there is no waiting period or preliminary hearing before an interim suspension; the certified conviction documents alone are sufficient to remove an attorney from practice while the full disciplinary process unfolds.
For practitioners, the case is a reminder that deferred sentences do not shield an attorney from immediate professional consequences. The underlying conduct — two separate aggravated DUI incidents — and the resulting guilty pleas triggered the Court’s summary suspension power regardless of whether incarceration was imposed, signaling that Oklahoma courts treat repeat alcohol-related offenses by attorneys as a serious threat to the profession’s integrity.