Oklahoma County Assistant District Attorney Lou Keel has a reputation as a "law and order" sort of guy. He earned national publicity as one of the primary prosecutors in the state murder trial of Oklahoma City Bombing conspiracy defendant Terry Nichols.

Now ADA Keel has earned more national publicity for being arrested on the night of 11/11/04 in an Oklahoma City Police Department prostitution sting. It is alleged that ADA Keel offered $50 for sex with a an Oklahoma City female officer posing as a prostitute.

ADA Keel was booked on a charge of offering to engage in an act of lewdness with a prostitute, put up a $500 bond and was released shortly after his arrest.

Regarding ADA Keel's arrest Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane was quoted in news media reports as stating:

"We recognize the gravity of this allegation, and I am deeply disturbed."

"Over the three years that I have been the district attorney, my office has taken a strong stand against prostitution."

DA Lane went on to indicate that ADA Keel has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the police investigation and that his office would recuse itself from involvement in prosecuting the case which would be turned over to another district attorney's office.

This is not the first time District Attorney Wes Lane has had to recuse his office from involvement in a high profile case involving someone close to him. In 2001, Lane's wife, Dr. Lori Hansen was charged with obtaining a controlled drug by misrepresentation shortly after Lane was appointed District Attorney by then Governor Frank Keating.

Webmaster's editorial comments:

In considering the implications of ADA Keel's arrest on charges involving the solicitation of a prostitute one can only wonder how many cases ADA Keel has prosecuted in which others were charged with prostitution related offenses. If the allegation against ADA Keel proves true in a court of law, how can anyone see ADA Keel's actions as anything other than a "double standard" in which on the one hand he sought to punish others for conduct in which he himself evidently saw no problem. In a state where "double standards" are the rule rather than the exception the handling of this case will prove most interesting.

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