A lack of public defenders in Portland, Oregon has caused Multnomah County judges to dismiss hundreds of felony cases including cases involving robbery, assault, and harassment.
According to the District Attorney’s office, 300 cases have been dismissed in 2022 through December 9 because of the public defender shortage, two-thirds of which were felony cases.
In November, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt said in a statement, “Months into this crisis, many are still waiting for their day in court while others have seen their cases dismissed altogether.”
Schmidt, an outspoken progressive, was elected in 2020 while Portland was engulfed in Antifa-backed riots and violence. Schmidt has been critical of police and implemented significantly relaxed bail reform policies during his tenure.
Schmidty said the lack of public defenders “sends a message to crime victims in our community that justice is unavailable and their harm will go unaddressed. It also sends a message to individuals who have committed a crime that there is no accountability while burning through scarce police and prosecutor resources.”
According to a review from the American Bar Association, Oregon only has 31 percent of the public defense attorneys it would need to properly handle all the cases that come through the courts.
According to the Associated Press, 53 percent of the cases thrown out were property crimes, weapons crimes were 16 percent, and personal crimes such as robbery and assault were 12 percent.
A closer breakdown from the DA’s office shows 9 assault cases were tossed out, 6 person robberies and 6 burglaries, and 2 cases of harassment.
In Oregon, the Office of Public Defense Services are not the direct employers of the lawyers that get assigned to defendants who cannot afford an attorney. The state contracts with law firms to complete that work and as of 2022 there are not enough contracts to cover those arrested and charge with crimes.
As crime in Portland has skyrocketed, the supply of public defenders has not met the demand.
Portland, Oregon surpassed its all-time record for murders in November after its 93rd homicide. The previous record was in 2021 with 90. Portland is currently gripped in a homeless crisis like many other Democrat-led cities across the nation.
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Great—let’s add felons into the mix of zombies.
THEY ARE already in the mix!!
How to create a social state by Saul Alinsky: Who now Runs Democrats, Joe and America
1) Healthcare — Control healthcare and you control the people
2) Poverty — Increase the Poverty level as high as possible, poor people are easier to control and will not fight back if you are providing everything for them to live.
3) Debt — Increase the debt to an unsustainable level. That way you are able to increase taxes, and this will produce more poverty.
4) Gun Control — Remove the ability to defend themselves from the Government. That way you are able to create a police state.
5) Welfare — Take control of every aspect of their lives (Food, Housing, and Income).
6) Education — Take control of what people read and listen to — take control of what children learn in school.
7) Religion — Remove the belief in the God from the Government and schools.
8) Class Warfare — Divide the people into the wealthy and the poor. This will cause more discontent and it will be easier to take (Tax) the wealthy with the support of the poor.
Overwhelming the system at all levels, on the borders, in the streets by debilitating law enforcement step one. Alinsky’s rules, insures Alinsky now Rules Us, no longer our Founders.
Portland does not need public defenders for criminals. The prosecutor is their attorney.
THE WHOLE DA”s office, and in most cases the whole legislature is their attorney’s..