Washington, Clackamas, and Marion County District Attorneys withdrew from a federal case on Oregon State Hospital timelines, citing new state law while urging long-term investments in mental health.
Oregon — Official Release: Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton, Clackamas County District Attorney John Wentworth, and Marion County District Attorney Paige Clarkson have withdrawn as amici parties in Disability Rights Oregon, Metropolitan Public Defender et. al. v Patrick Allen et. al. (case no. 3:02-cv-00339-MO).
The three district attorneys joined the federal case in 2022 after the court imposed treatment timelines that conflicted with and overruled Oregon law in ways that compromised victim and public safety. The Oregon State Legislature has since codified similar timelines into law through HB 2005 (2025).
Over the past three years, District Attorneys Barton, Wentworth, and Clarkson have participated in multiple hearings, workgroups, and mediations to help inform the federal court and craft real solutions to the crisis at the Oregon State Hospital. It has been a priority for the public safety leaders to ensure that while the federal court focuses on the rights of defendants with mental illness, there must also be a clear and persistent voice advocating for the safety and protection of crime victims and the public…