Indigent Defense
No accountability. No justice. A false crisis.
No defense attorney. No accountability. The truth about Oregon’s indigent defense system.
The Oregon Public Defense Commission provides attorneys for defendants who cannot afford to pay for one. The Commission funds a statewide system of non-profit legal offices, contract defense attorneys, and a state-run administration. Over the last six years, the Commission and the defense bar have claimed to be in crisis, despite over $300 million in new state money and thousands fewer cases across the state.
The result. No defense attorneys for 1,000s of people accused of crime – from shoplifting, to car theft, to assault, to sex crimes.
The impact. No accountability as hundreds of these cases are dismissed every year, leaving a trail of frustrated victims and carefree criminals.
Oregon spends more than nearly any other state on indigent defense. At over $70 per capita, the state spends three times the national average.
There are far more defense attorneys than prosecutors.
There is NOT a crisis.
Let’s check the facts.
State funding is skyrocketing. Caseloads are plummeting.
Since 2017, funding for public defense increased over $300 million. One of the largest increases of any agency. At the same time, the number of cases filed in Oregon has decreased over 30%. The numbers just don’t add up.
Oregonians are paying the price.
Here are just a few of those whose case was dismissed…
Only to lead to worse.
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Pablo Figeroa
Charges dropped for no attorney on March 23, 2023.
Charged with attempted murder on August 19, 2024
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Jeffrey Roberts
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Donnell Lamarr Watson
Charges dropped for no attorney on August 30, 2023
Charged with manslaughter on November 23, 2023
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WHO'S NEXT?
Every week more offenders are going unrepresented and more cases are being dismissed.