News & Resources
Defense of Measure 11 Serves Prosecutors, Not Justice
Guest blog by: Edward Jones Jones is a retired judge of the Multnomah County Circuit Court. He lives in Portland. In a recent op-ed, Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton and Clackamas County District Attorney John Wentworth explained their opposition to various bills before the Legislature that would amend Ballot Measure 11 (“Legislators should… Read More »
Defendants Facing Prosecution In Federal Court Are Challenging Use Of “Civil Disorder” Statute
Some defendants being prosecuted in Federal Court for protester activity are facing charges under the Federal “civil disorder” statute. This law has rarely been relied upon for prosecutions, and some defense attorneys are filing legal challenges. Following the Portland protests that the Federal authorities vigorously opposed last year, over a dozen protesters are being… Read More »
Oregon Should Pay Compensation to the Wrongly Convicted
Guest blog by: Kim Thatcher Thatcher, R-Keizer, represents Senate District 13 in the Oregon Legislature. Earl Bain was going through a difficult divorce after returning from his tour of duty in Afghanistan when he was wrongfully convicted by a nonunanimous jury for sexual abuse. Despite no physical evidence against him, Earl spent six years… Read More »
During His Waning Months in Office, Trump Increased Pace of Executions Even While the States Reduced Imposition of the Death Penalty
In 2020, the number of death sentences imposed within the US declined to their overall lowest since 1991, even despite Trump administration’s resurgence of the Federal death penalty. The widespread pandemic was one reason for the decrease of executions. Seven prisoners were executed by the States since July, while a dozen or more inmates… Read More »
Another Innocent Man Set Free After Decades Behind Bars
Tragically, our country incarcerates many innocent people, sometimes for decades. Even when prisoners are freed after long incarceration, how do they get their life back on track? Recently, Walter Forbes, 63, was released from prison after a Michigan Circuit Court judge overturned his conviction. Forbes had been imprisoned for 37 years on charges of… Read More »
State and Federal Charges Arising from Politically Motivated Activities are Widespread in Oregon Communities
In Oregon, and across the country, activists have been standing up to police violence, which has taken 40 lives in Portland alone since 2003, by exercising their rights to protest, march, and raise their voices against injustice to enact social change. These lawful efforts to spark change were vilified by the Trump administration, specifically… Read More »
Oregon Governor Kate Brown Offers Early Release to Prisoners Because of COVID, But Some Prisoners Opt to Remain Behind Bars
Due to the alarming rise of the coronavirus spreading within Oregon’s prisons, Gov. Kate Brown offered early release to 66 inmates who are at a greater risk of contracting the deadly virus. This was done in hopes to mitigate public safety risks as a result of the virus raging throughout Oregon’s prison system. However,… Read More »
During 2020, Federal Prosecutors Filed More Charges Labeled “Domestic Terrorism” In Oregon Than Anywhere Else
In 2020, approximately 40 protestors were faced with Federal charges filed by the Oregon U.S. Attorney’s Office, which the government labels “domestic terrorism”. Two of those protestor defendants are represented by our law firm. A domestic terrorism charge may include allegations of assault and resistance towards federal officers, civil disorder, and arson. Many of… Read More »
Martin Luther King, Jr., Birthday Message from Clackamas County Bar Association
In advance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend and in light of recent comments and events which do not align with the vision of the Clackamas County Bar Association, we wanted to take this opportunity to affirm that the Clackamas County Bar Association prides itself by respecting the diversity of all citizens of… Read More »
Opinion: Time For Oregon To Pull Back On Measure 11’s Mandatory Minimums
By Martin Lockett Lockett is serving the final year of a 17-year sentence at Deer Ridge Correctional Institution in Madras. Seventeen years ago, I drove drunk and crashed into a car that killed two people and injured another. I was 24. At the time, I was working full-time and attending Portland Community College part-time…. Read More »
