In the latest chapter of Oregon’s public defense crisis saga, a Clackamas County judge ruled that attorneys at two nonprofit public defense organizations don’t need to take cases that would stretch them beyond their capacity.
In court on Thursday and Friday, Public Defender of Marion County and Southwestern Oregon Public Defender Services argued that caseload requirements for Oregon’s public defenders are so large and overwhelming that they are preventing state-funded defense attorneys from providing adequate counsel to their clients, violating the Sixth Amendment rights of Oregonians accused of a crime.
Clackamas County Circuit Court Judge Michael Wetzel issued the decision Friday afternoon. It will likely be appealed.
Public Defender of Marion County Executive Director Shannon Wilson said that Wetzel’s ruling validated everything they’ve worked for over the past several years…