Last year, Hunter spoke with Oregon Public Defender Chris O’Connor to discuss the public defender crisis in Oregon, and today, Hunter once again returns to Oregon to see what has changed. Joining Hunter to discuss the issue is Eve Costello, a contract PD in Klamath Falls, and Lee Wachocki, a PD in Multnomah County. Each of these attorneys bring with them an insight into the many ways that Public Defense is failing in Oregon from the urban center of Portland to the rural areas of Klamath Falls. While there are no easy solutions to the issues, it may be time for the state to seriously consider moving to a structure that enables the defense bar to act in a unified manner.

 

 

 

Guests:

Lee Wachocki, Public Defender, Multnomah County

Eve Costello, Contract Public Defender, Klamath Falls

 

 

Resources:

Multnomah County Public Defender

https://mpdlaw.com/

Sixth Amendment Center Report

https://sixthamendment.org/know-your-state/oregon/

Vice Investigative Reporting on Public Defender Crisis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-ENDjlvgLs

‘No sense of justice’: Hundreds cycling through Oregon courts without public defenders

http://%20https/www.oregonlive.com/crime/2022/09/no-sense-of-justice-1300-criminal-cases-in-limbo-as-oregons-public-defender-shortage-mounts.html

Firing of Stephen Singer

https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2022/08/18/board-fires-head-of-oregons-public-defense-agency/

Oregon Public Defense Law Suit

https://www.opb.org/article/2022/05/16/lawsuit-oregon-failing-to-provide-attorneys-to-people-charged-with-crimes/

ABA Report on Oregon Public Defense

https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2022/01/aba-sclaid-finds-lack-of-resources-in-its-study-of-oregon-s-publ/

Oregon public defender asks court to withdraw overworked attorneys, dismiss cases

https://www.opb.org/article/2023/03/16/public-defense-oregon-attorneys-dismiss-cases/

 

Oregon’s public defender crisis impacts Jackson County

https://www.opb.org/article/2023/05/01/oregons-public-defender-crisis-impacts-jackson-county/

 Attorney Shortage in Rural America

https://www.nhbr.com/lack-of-rural-lawyers-leaves-much-of-america-without-support/

 

 

Contact Hunter Parnell:

[email protected] 

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