ACS Oregon: Constitutional Crisis - A Look at One State's Failure to Adequately Fund Public Defense

A two-year study by the American Bar Association recently found that Oregon provides just 30% of the number of lawyers needed to provide youth and adults with public defense counsel, leading to overwhelming caseloads and inadequate resources. The report highlighted systemic failures in Oregon's provision of public defense and came on the heels of a 2019 report from The Sixth Amendment Center which highlighted Oregon's failure to adequately pay contractors. This failure has led to burnout and the resignation of public defenders, not to mention too many defendants languishing in custody without having so much as a brief conversation with an attorney. Join the ACS Oregon Lawyer Chapter as we discuss this issue and possible solutions to help address this ongoing constitutional crisis.

Panelists:

Jessica Kampfe, Executive Director, Multnomah Defenders Inc.

Carl Macpherson, Executive Director, Metropolitan Public Defender

Cheryl Renee Manes, Assistant Federal Public Defender, District Of Oregon

Nedu Nweze, Attorney, Nweze Law

Stephen Singer, Executive Director, Oregon Public Defense Services

Moderated by:

Ryan Anfuso, Founder, Anfuso Law, P.C.