THE WORTHINGTON CASE
For many years, the Clackamas County District Attorney's Office has been seeking to crack down on the Followers of Christ Church of Oregon City, which has been reported in the news media of following the religious practice of "faith healing" instead of modern medicine. Following the death of Ava Worthington, the District Attorney prosecuted Carl Brent Worthington and his wife Raylene Marie Worthington, for the crime of Manslaughter in the Second Degree. The State alleged that Mr. and Mrs. Worthington failed to provide adequate medical care to their daughter Ava, and that this was the cause of Ava's death.
Read more about the Worthington case.
Client CC was indicted for multiple charges of assault and robbery charges, with multiple victims. Despite the fact that CC lacked any criminal history, she faced a mandatory minimum prison sentence of many years under the harsh framework of Ballot Measure 11. When CC came to us, she had already been indicted and was represented by a court-appointed attorney. We took over her case, and as a result of the work we did with our client over a period of several months, we were able to accomplish a vastly improved outcome. CC ended up not facing the severe consequences of Ballot Measure 11. When our client regains her freedom, her co-defendants will still have many years yet to serve in prison. Equally important, our client will be able to get all records of her prosecution expunged, and her conviction erased, while the co-defendants will be burdened by criminal convictions for the rest of their lives.
Client MN came to us facing potential sexual abuse charges, arising from a consensual relationship with a co-worker. If convicted, the client faced many years in prison, lifetime registration as a sex offender, and the prospect of being excluded from any employment opportunities in his chosen profession. Even if the client was found not guilty, the prospect of being arrested and prosecuted for this crime would have been devastating. The only solution was to intervene strongly in the investigation stage of the matter, and persuade the authorities that the client was innocent and should not be prosecuted. No other course of action would save the client from dire consequences. Fortunately, MN came to us before he was indicted, so we had the maximum possible opportunity to avoid the harshest consequences. As a result of several months of diligent work, on the part of all members of our defense team, we were able to clear the client from suspicion. In the end, we persuaded the authorities that it would be a grave injustice to charge the client with any crime.
Client DC was charged with Ballot Measure 11 assault of the client's wife, and the District Attorney piled on charges of kidnapping and other offenses. Client and his wife saw the incident as an opportunity to address issues and improve their marriage. To protect the couple from being abused by the legal process, we referred the wife to a capable attorney. Together with the wife's attorney, we formulated a strategy that resulted in the couple being reunited and the charges being drastically reduced to a level that did not cause the client to forfeit his career or spend any time in jail.
Client KW faced Ballot Measure 11 charges of rape and sodomy which would have resulted in many years of imprisonment without our intervention. The client had previously been represented by a court-appointed attorney who did nothing to advance his defense. Thorough investigation on the part of the defense resulted in the gathering of evidence which demonstrated that client was innocent of the crimes for which he was indicted. We persuaded the prosecution to dismiss all charges and the client was set free.
Client MM faced Ballot Measure 11 charge of assault and other offenses due to an encounter with an overly aggressive volunteer for the Sheriff's Office. Our investigation of the matter established that the volunteer failed to comply with his training and applicable regulations, and that the police investigation was flawed. We were able to get the case reduced from a major felony to a low-level misdemeanor offense, with no jail time and no probation.
Client CA faced Ballot Measure 11 sex charges arising from a failed relationship with his past girlfriend. Assisted by a favorable polygraph result, we were able to persuade the District Attorney's Office to reduce the charges to a level that did not cause the client to be convicted of a Sex crime and have to register as a Sex Offender. Further, we were able to negotiate an outcome that did not require the client to serve any time in jail. After a relatively brief waiting period, our client will be able to expunge all records of his arrest and prosecution in this matter.
Client RV faced Ballot Measure 11 charges of Assault and Kidnapping. After a thorough investigation and evaluation by an expert psychologist, we were able to persuade the prosecuting attorney and the judge that our client did not deserve the full brunt of prosecution under Ballot Measure 11. We negotiated an outcome which resulted in the client being released from jail and a conviction that qualifies for expungement.
Client SG faced possible prosecution for Ballot Measure 11 Rape. Swift investigation on our part, and a successful polygraph result, spared our client from the humiliation and devastating consequences that would have ensued as a result of being arrested and prosecuted for this crime.
AV was accused of multiple Ballot Measure 11 charges, based on a violent assault involving numerous victims. The client has a good family background, and had no prior criminal history, and yet he was facing a prison sentence of 10 years or more because of the nature of the allegations. Our work in this case made use of an extensive psychological evaluation performed by our forensic psychologist. We utilized the services of two excellent investigators, who tracked one key witness down in Europe and also gathered important motion-picture archival information that was key to our defense of the client. After many months of hard work on the part of all members of our defense team, we were able to accomplish a non-Measure 11 outcome for this client. As a result of our work in this matter, our client will not have to serve the prison sentence that would otherwise have been his fate. Even more important, as a result of the successful outcome of this matter, our client will be able to expunge all records of his arrest and prosecution. We are very proud of the success we accomplished for this client.
* Every criminal case involves unique facts and circumstances. No previously obtained outcome guarantees the same results in any new case.
