May 3, 2024
PORTLAND, Oregon – Today, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt released a list of cases impacted by the public defense crisis. The list includes felony cases dismissed by the JC3 court as a result of the crisis.
In November, DA Mike Schmidt called the public defense crisis– defined by a lack of public defenders to provide counsel to defendants– an urgent threat to public safety. Individuals charged with a crime have a constitutional right to defense counsel. Victims have a right to justice. Absent counsel, criminal prosecutions cannot lawfully move forward, and throughout the counsel shortage, cases issued by the office have been routinely dismissed over prosecutors’ objections.
DA Schmidt also declared that MCDA would publish cases dismissed due to the crisis each week to increase transparency and advance the public’s understanding of the scope of the crisis. Here is an updated breakdown of the types of felonies getting dismissed.
There were 27 cases dismissed by the court as a result of the public defense crisis between 4/19/24 and 5/2/24:
23-CR-52206
23-CR-56853
20-CR-18652
20-CR-244696
23-CR-16991
20-CR-62327
22-CR-59518
23-CR-60257
22-CR-59518
22-CR-33985
23-CR-27552
23-CR-61615
23-CR-56309
20-CR-70179
23-CR-52682
23-CR-61704
23-CR-61679
23-CR-61143
23-CR-61150
23-CR-60924
23-CR-59664
23-CR-29507
22-CR-35275
21-CR-13114
23-CR-33076
22-CR-29115
19-CR-82321