Portland’s Democratic district attorney is seeking to reduce the sentences and charges of eight convicts just weeks before the end of his term.
Mike Schmidt, who was first appointed to serve as Multnomah County district attorney in 2020, lost his reelection bid to Nathan Vasquez, an independent who promised to deliver a stronger stance on crime for the city. Vasquez takes office on Jan. 6, 2025.
Just days before Christmas, Schmidt filed two separate petitions requesting the commutation of three violent criminals, including a man convicted of murder. A hearing on the petitions began Monday.
Schmidt was able to make these petitions thanks to a state law passed in 2021. Senate Bill 819 allows a district attorney to petition a judge to revisit a conviction or reduce a prison sentence. It also allows a judge to reduce a felony to a misdemeanor, which could then eventually be expunged from a person’s criminal record.
Schmidt is receiving criticism for making the filings on Dec. 20 and 23 and giving little time to the victims to review the petitions. Under the law, the district attorney must “provide a copy of the petition to the victim” as soon as practicable and “no later than 30 days before any hearing on the petition.”