Deschutes County has more murder prosecutions pending right now than at any other time in its history. That's one consequence of underfunding in a fast-growing region, according to a report put out this week by the Deschutes County District Attorney's Office.
Part damning self-examination, the report is also ammunition heading into budget season.
Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel presents the findings of an OSP investigation at the Deschutes County District Attorney's Office on Dec. 7, 2018.
Emily Cureton / OPB
"The DA's office has had to face the harsh realities of being understaffed and overworked," states the 79-page staffing analysis. It reveals examples of "undesirable outcomes," such as a botched sex abuse investigation, victims not being notified of critical hearings or receiving restitution, and a case that could have been settled in a month, but instead dragged on for a year.
The analysis also attempts to pin the problems on a consequence of increasing demands, rather than on shortcomings of the county's attorneys and legal staff.
On Monday, District Attorney John Hummel sent the county's budget committee a letter requesting funds to hire 12 additional full-time staff members. If that request isn't met, he said the office will stop prosecuting 202 misdemeanor charges in order to focus on more serious crimes. The budget hearing is set for May 29.
In the letter Hummel quoted an unnamed deputy district attorney as saying: “I don’t have time to keep track of every bad thing that happens: we have to immediately move on to the next trauma…”
The district attorney’s report found 42 percent of attorneys in the office resigned last year alone.
Swollen caseloads have driven cuts to court services, as well. Last month the Bulletin reported Deschutes County Circuit Court would stop monitored probation in most misdemeanor cases.
