Think Out Loud New head of Oregon Public Defense Commission optimistic about the future of the embattled system
Feb 23, 2026
Ken Sanchagrin, Executive Director of the Oregon Public Defense Commission and long-time reformer, outlines efforts to repair Oregon’s strained public defense system. He discusses court timelines for representation and what dismissals mean. He explains challenges prosecutors face refiling cases and why shifting to full-time trial teams can help. He also covers recent funding, recruitment efforts, and realistic progress metrics.
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Court Timelines Force Dismissals
- Oregon Supreme Court set 60 days for misdemeanors and 90 days for felonies of being unrepresented before dismissal without prejudice.
- Ken Sanchagrin says the rule aims to prevent prejudice from lack of investigation and case preparation for defendants.
Dismissals Affect Charges More Than Jail Populations
- Dismissals are mostly of charges, not mass pretrial jail releases, because most affected people are not in custody.
- Sanchagrin emphasizes that many cases involve out-of-custody defendants released on bail or recognizance.
Logistics Become Central To Preserving Cases
- The ruling creates logistical urgency to find representation within strict timelines to avoid dismissal.
- Sanchagrin frames OPDC's role as identifying where representation can be found and improving a system that hadn't met those deadlines.