Texas Prosecutor and Baylor Law Adjunct Professor, Beth Toben, Honored with Lone Star Prosecutor Award

Beth Toben, Adjunct Professor of Law at Baylor Law and Assistant County / District Attorney in Limestone County, has been recognized with the prestigious Lone Star Prosecutor Award, a state-wide award given to one prosecutor each year by the Texas District and County Attorney’s Association (the state prosecutors’ association). The recognition was made recently during the TDCAA’s annual meeting held in Round Rock.

The Lone Star Prosecutor Award recognizes a prosecutor who excels in advancing justice in their communities, including outstanding trial advocacy and other innovative contributions that might otherwise go unnoticed across the state.

Expressing her gratitude for this honor, Toben emphasized, “First and foremost, it’s the personal aspect of being nominated by my boss, Roy DeFriend, and my trial partner, Jeff Janes. It meant the world to me to know they know me so well, have worked closely with me, and thought enough of me to nominate me. It really touched my heart.”

Over an impressive career spanning nearly three and a half decades, Toben has successfully tried over 225 felony jury trials to verdict. In 1989, she became Assistant District Attorney in McLennan County, prosecuting there for 22 years and serving as the Deputy First Assistant DA for two decades. She principally handled child sexual abuse cases and was pivotal in establishing the Advocacy Center for Crime Victims and Children in Waco. In 2011, Toben transitioned to the Limestone County Attorney’s Office, where she continues to serve as an Assistant County/District Attorney and felony prosecutor. She actively prosecutes cases involving child abuse and various other felony cases, including those related to domestic violence. She has served as a long-time instructor for the TDCAA in its prosecutor education programming.

Beth Toben’s impact extends beyond the courtroom, as she has also left her mark in the classroom. She shares her expertise with future Baylor Lawyers in Baylor Law’s Criminal Law Boot Camp program, as a Jaworski Fellow, and as a faculty member in the Academy of the Advocate at St Andrews.

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