Deputy district attorney position opens in Morrow County

By Terry Murry on Tuesday, November 26th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

HEPPNER – Morrow County District Attorney Justin Nelson is the only lawyer in his office once again. Deputy District Attorney Greg Goebel has left the office to return to the Willamette Valley. Goebel’s wife was accepted to a master’s program at Oregon State University, prompting their return to their former home.

“We’ve done this before,” Nelson, who was born and raised in Morrow County, said. “It’s not easy, but we’ll get by and we’ll definitely prioritize the cases we need to and still hold those offenders accountable.”

Nelson said attracting attorneys to move to areas outside the Willamette Valley is difficult throughout the state.

“While Morrow County is smaller than many counties, one thing that makes Morrow County different is our use of both the Sixth Circuit Court and Justice Courts,” he stated. “Morrow County has no municipal courts that handle criminal cases.”

He said that many law school graduates who want to stay in the more populous part of Oregon might want to be prosecutors. However, they choose defense work instead because those jobs are more plentiful along the I-5 corridor. As he begins the search for a new deputy district attorney, he says he’s not alone.

“Many DA offices throughout the state are in the same position,” he said. “Umatilla County, for example, has been down several deputy DAs for the past several years.”