Public defense system gets help
By Terry Murry on Friday, June 23rd, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
SALEM – Legislation designed to end Oregon’s shortage of public defenders has now passed both houses and is awaiting the signature of Gov. Tina Kotek. Senate Bill 337 is designed to protect the right to legal representation, reduce caseloads, and bolster the public defender workforce according to its supporters.
Umatilla County District Attorney Dan Primus said the shortage of public defenders is real in many parts of Oregon, but has not been experienced within his jurisdiction.
“It feels as if we have the same numbers of public defenders we have always had, maybe even a little bit more,” he said.
Primus, who is president of the Oregon District Attorneys Association, sits on an advisory commission to address the crisis. He said it’s an awkward feeling, because he, as a prosecutor, doesn’t want to criticize the public defense system.
“I serve in that role just mainly to give them input on how we do things if they have questions,” he said. “It’s not really to give feedback on how they should be running it.”
Oregon has a unique public defense system. Lawyers serving as defense attorneys are either from a law firm contracted by the state or those in private practice. This bill establishes the Oregon Public Defense Commission and puts it in the executive wing of government instead of the judicial wing. It also establishes a trial division under the commission that hires attorneys to work directly as public defenders for the state.
