"Overworked and understaffed public defenders aren't able to meet the constitutionally required minimum standards for fair trials, to the point that last year, the state started to let defendants walk, purely because no one was able to represent them after a week. Without effective counsel and access to it, it is very easy for the state to steamroll the accused toward gambling on a known plea deal or dealing with the uncertainty of trial."
"The new contracts, which took effect Oct. 1, expect Marion County public defenders to handle the equivalent of 300 misdemeanor cases or 138 serious felonies, like kidnapping or first-degree assault, per year, according to the complaint filed by Shannon Wilson, executive director of the Public Defender of Marion County. The contract would require attorneys handling the highest level felonies to reach a resolution in 11 hours. Those would include people accused of first-degree manslaughter, rape or arson."
Oregon's public defense system is severely understaffed and overworked, leaving many defendants without timely counsel and undermining fair-trial standards. The state began releasing defendants for lack of representation after a week. New contracts impose strict caseload requirements, expecting Marion County attorneys to handle the equivalent of 300 misdemeanor cases or 138 serious felonies per year and to resolve the highest-level felonies within 11 hours. A national study estimates 286 hours are needed for high-severity felony representation. The mismatch between required hours and actual time threatens effective counsel, encourages plea-taking, and prompted a lawsuit by Marion County public defense leadership.
Read at Above the Law
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]