The Oregon public defense system has been in crisis for many years. The number of defendants who need representation has far outstripped the number of available public defenders. Previous reports found the state’s system violated Oregonians’ constitutional rights. Earlier this month the Oregon Supreme Court ruled unanimously that criminal charges against defendants must be dropped if an attorney cannot be found. Oregon lawmakers have passed legislation aimed at alleviating the crisis. We sit down with Ken Sanchagrin, the new head of the Oregon Public Defense Commission, to talk about the progress that’s been made in turning the crisis around and the future of the system.
