Oregon is facing a constitutional crisis, with thousands of people entangled in the legal system without access to an attorney, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB).
On Monday, Ken Sanchagrin, interim director of the Oregon Public Defense Commission, released a proposal aimed at addressing the issue.
“It’s no secret the crisis has been getting progressively worse over time,” Sanchagrin told reporters, as quoted by OPB.
As of late May, 119 people were in jail without legal representation, and nearly 4,400 individuals statewide faced criminal charges without an attorney, OPB reported.
The crisis is most severe in six Oregon counties: Coos, Douglas, Jackson, Marion, Multnomah, and Washington. These counties account for the majority of unrepresented individuals.
“This is not an evenly spread issue,” Sanchagrin said. “Certain counties are carrying a much larger share of the problem.”
Sanchagrin’s proposal to Gov. Tina Kotek includes a range of measures: increasing the number of attorneys who can take cases, expanding diversion programs, and partnering with law schools to bring in new public defenders.
One example already underway is in Marion County, where the commission has collaborated with the district attorney to steer individuals with substance use issues into probation and treatment, avoiding traditional court proceedings. This initiative is known as the “RESTORE Court.”
“We’re trying to find creative, functional solutions,” Sanchagrin said.
The plan also calls for expanding the use of a mobile “strike team” of state-employed public defenders who can be rapidly deployed to counties with the greatest need.
OPB notes that the crisis stems from Oregon’s longstanding failure to meet its constitutional obligation—under both state and federal law—to provide legal counsel for those who cannot afford it.
In April, Gov. Kotek dismissed the commission’s former executive director, Jessica Kampfe, and brought the agency under executive branch oversight.
“When the governor named me interim director, she asked for a plan and a timeline,” Sanchagrin told OPB. “This is a 12-month roadmap.”
However, Sanchagrin did not commit to a specific end date for resolving the crisis, citing the need for legislative cooperation and adequate funding.
Lawmakers are now considering budget and policy changes that could affect the commission’s capacity to implement the plan.
Sen. Anthony Broadman, chair of the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Public Safety, told OPB that Sanchagrin’s plan “puts us on a path to ensure Oregonians are safe and the accused have adequate representation.”
