The Oregon House Judiciary Committee decided at the last minute to withdraw House Bill 2469 – to allow judges to downgrade some misdemeanor offenses to violations – because it needed a majority vote of the committee to succeed.
Its Failure is a Bitter Blow to Defense Attorneys
The bill was a request from the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and its failure is a bitter blow to defense attorneys who spent months negotiating to water down some of the original content of the bill to make it more appealing to prosecutors.
The concessions excluded some misdemeanor crimes such as sexual abuse, assault, and driving under the influence of intoxicants.
Defense Attorneys Believe the Bill Would Alleviate the Demand for Public Defenders…