Oregon Supreme Court sets deadlines for court-appointed lawyers

Zoom in: People facing misdemeanor cases will have two months to have an attorney appointed before their charges are dropped, per the Oregonian.

• Felony cases will have a three-month deadline.

By the numbers: The ruling could affect some 1,400 cases statewide, with roughly 900 of those in Multnomah County.

• Despite the shortage, the Oregon Public Defense Commission has made progress on the backlog, reducing the number of defendants without attorneys from more than 3,700 in late 2024 to just under 2,500 as of last month, the Oregonian reported.
• In a statement to the paper, the commission said it would "continue to address the crisis with urgency and transparency."

The other side: John Wentworth, Clackamas County's top prosecutor, called the ruling "an immense waste of taxpayers' money."

• "Our indigent defense system must deliver the service they are paid to provide," said Wentworth, who is also the president of the Oregon District Attorneys Association.

Between the lines: The ruling did leave prosecutors the option of refiling cases that have been dismissed, though legal experts said that could lead to charges being filed repeatedly while people wait for a lawyer.