Public Defenseless 53: What is Causing the Crisis in Oregon Public Defense w/Chris O'Connor
The Oregon Public Defender System is broken. Due to a shortage of attorneys willing to take on the cases, hundreds of people wait for months without ever having an attorney appointed to their case. During this wait, they are often required to return to court to mandate another hearing because attorneys are not available to take the case. With each passing day, evidence grows harder to find, the memories of potential witnesses fade away, and whatever trust the accused had in the legal system withers and dies.
To help Hunter understand how this crisis consumed Oregon Public Defense, he spoke with Chris O'Connor, a Public Defender at the Metropolitan Public Defender in Multnomah County Oregon. After 20 years as a Public Defender, Chris is the perfect guest to help understand the history and decisions leading up to the crisis.
As he reveals, report after report over the years have continuously showcased the many failings of the overly complex, contract based public defender system. Yet despite the issues being obvious, the legislature and the judiciary continued to allow the issue to fester. This episode is a must listen if you want to best understand the uphill battle the Public Defenders in Oregon are facing!
Guests:
Chris O'Connor, Public Defender, Metropolitan Public Defender Office, Multnomah County Oregon
Key Topics and Takeaways:
How did Chris start off as a PD [8:11]
Structure and History of Oregon Public Defense [10:21]
Findings and Impacts of the Sixth Amendment Center [14:30]
Why does the contract model still persist in Oregon? [20:48]
Can this system work? [25:15]
Impacts of Drug Decriminalization [28:45]
How this crisis has been framed by the media and the lack of accountability by the judiciary and the legislature [31:44]
Why do people have to come to court 12 times just to have a case dismissed [38:55]
The judicial cowardice problem [40:00]
The impacts of the attorney shortage [42:00]
The judicial coup that hit the PDSC [53:00]
What can be done [1:02:00]
Resources:
Multnomah County Public Defender
Vice Investigative Reporting on Public Defender Crisis
'No sense of justice': Hundreds cycling through Oregon courts without public defenders
Oregon Public Defense Law Suit
ABA Report on Oregon Public Defense
Contact Hunter Parnell:
hwparnell@publicdefenseless.com