MAIL-IN
MAIL-IN BALLOTS, THIS STARTS IN 2020.
2020.
2020. OREGON JOINS CALIFORNIA AND
WASHINGTON IN PAYING FOR THOSE
MAIL-IN BALLOTS.
MAIL-IN BALLOTS. BACK TO YOU.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
SOMETHING ELSE THAT CAME OUT OF
THE SESSION WAS MUCH NEEDED
MONEY FOR PUBLIC DEFENDERS.
THEY HAVE LONG SAID THEY HAVE
BEEN OVERWORKED AND UNDERPAID.
KGW'S LINDSAY NADRICH GOT A
FIRSTHAND LOOK AT THE WORKLOAD
THEY WERE FACED WITH AND WHY
THE FUNDING IS NECESSARY.
>> Reporter: LET'S START WITH
THE WORKLOAD FACING PUBLIC
DEFENDERS.
DEFENDERS. THE ATTORNEY I FOLLOWED FOR A
DAY HAS SO MANY CASES, SHE WAS
SCHEDULED TO BE IN THREE PLACES
AT ONCE WHICH IS PHYSICALLY
IMPOSSIBLE BUT EXPECTED BECAUSE
THERE AREN'T ENOUGH PUBLIC
DEFENDERS.
DEFENDERS. SHE SAYS IT IS SOMETHING THAT
HAPPENS DAILY.
HAPPENS DAILY. >> IT NEVER FEELS OKAY TO STOP
WORKING.
WORKING.
WORKING. >> Reporter: THAT IS THE
REALITY FOR CHRISTINE BRETON.
THE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE COULD
HAVE FOLLOWED CLASSMATES TO A
BIG LAW JOB.
INSTEAD, SHE FELT A CALLING TO
SERVE THE MOST VULNERABLE AS A
PUBLIC DEFENDER AT MULTNOMAH
COUNTY DEFENDERS INC.
SHE KNEW SHE'D BE BUSY.
BUT NOW, IT'S AT A BREAKING
POINT.
POINT.
POINT. >>
POINT. >> OPEN CASES HEADING TO TRIAL
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. SOME SORT OF RESOLUTION.
>> Reporter: HER FILING CABINET
IS SO FULL OF CASES SHE IS
WORKING ON, IT WILL TIP OVER IF
YOU OPEN BOTH DRAWERS AT THE
SAME TIME.
SAME TIME. IN HER FIRST YEAR ON THE JOB,
SHE HANDLED 500 MISDEMEANOR
CASES.
CASES.
CASES. THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION
SAYS ATTORNEYS SHOULDN'T HANDLE
MORE THAN 400 CASES A YEAR.
BUT SOME EXPERTS SAY EVEN THOSE
NUMBERS ARE FAR TOO HIGH AND
OUTDATED.
OUTDATED.
OUTDATED. >> I LOVE THIS JOB AND THIS IS
ALL I WANT TO DO FOREVER.
, I HAVE, YOU KNOW, OVER 200
CLIENTS RIGHT NOW.
AND EVERY DAY, YOU RESOLVE ONE
IN A TRIAL AND COME BACK AND
THERE ARE FOUR OR FIVE NEW
CASES.
CASES.
CASES. >>
CASES. >> Reporter: ON A TYPICAL DAY,
CHRISTINE HAS TO BE IN COURT BY
8:00 A.M.
8:00 A.M.
8:00 A.M. WHICH MEANS HER DAY ACTUALLY
STARTS MUCH EARLIER, TO MAKE
SURE SHE IS PREPARED.
THEN OVER LUNCH, INSTEAD OF
TAKING A BREAK, SHE PREPS CASES
FOR THE AFTERNOON.
AS A PUBLIC DEFENDER, CHRISTINE
REPRESENTS DEFENDANTS WHO CAN'T
AFFORD THEIR OWN ATTORNEY.
A RIGHT GUARANTEED TO THEM IN
THE CONSTITUTION.
THE CONSTITUTION. ON THE DAY I FOLLOWED CHRISTINE
AROUND, SHE WAS SCHEDULED TO BE
IN THREE DIFFERENT PLACES AT
ONCE.
ONCE.
ONCE. SOMETHING SHE SAYS HAPPENS A
LOT.
LOT.
LOT. HER
LOT. HER DAY IN COURT MAY END AT
5:00 BUT SHE STAYS SOME DAYS
PAST 9:00 P.M.
TO KEEP UP WITH THE WORKLOAD.
>> IT IS HARD TO LOOK AHEAD AND
SAY, THIS IS WHAT I'VE INTENDED
MY CAREER TO BE.
I WANT TO BE A PUBLIC DEFENDER
FOREVER.
FOREVER.
FOREVER. BUT, HOW?
BUT, HOW?
BUT, HOW? >> Reporter: CHRISTINE ISN'T
THE ONLY ONE THAT FEELS THIS
WAY.
WAY.
WAY. IT'S
WAY. IT'S THE SAME SITUATION AT
METROPOLITAN PUBLIC DEFENDER.
ATTORNEYS ARE BURNING OUT
QUICKER THAN THEY USED TO,
BECAUSE, SIMPLY PUT, THEY'RE
EXHAUSTED.
EXHAUSTED. >> WE'VE LOST 25 ATTORNEYS AND
NOW, 18, 19 MONTHS, THAT'S A
THIRD OF OUR ATTORNEY STAFF.
>> Reporter: BECAUSE OF THAT
LOSS, THE OFFICE HAD TO STOP
ACCEPTING NEW MISDEMEANOR CASES
BY MAY 24th UNTIL TODAY.
FOR MISDEMEANORS, ATTORNEYS IN
HIS OFFICE HAVE 194 OPEN CASES.
FOR FELONIES, THEY AVERAGE 60
TO 80 OPEN CASES.
HE SAYS THOSE NUMBERS ARE TOO
HIGH ALREADY BUT, NUMBERS ALONE
DON'T REFLECT THE HOURS SPENT
ON EACH CASE.
>> WE ARE FEELING LIKE
ATTORNEYS ARE DEVOTED TO THE
WORK BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE
THEY ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM,
NOT THE SOLUTION.
AND THEY CAN PROPERLY DEAL WITH
CLIENTS IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE.
>> Reporter: THIS ISN'T A NEW
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM. FOR YEARS, LEGISLATORS HAVE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT FIXING IT
AND THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION,
THEY GOT A LITTLE CLOSER WITH
HOUSE BILL 50-50.
THAT BILL ALLOCATES $20 MILLION
TO THE PUBLIC DEFENSE SERVICES
COMMISSION TO HELP WITH
CASELOADS.
CASELOADS. THAT'S MONEY THAT IS DEFINITELY
NEEDED, BECAUSE OREGON'S PUBLIC
DEFENSE SYSTEM IS NOT CURRENTLY
MEETING CONSTITUTIONAL
MEETING CONSTITUTIONAL STANDARDS.
STANDARDS. IT'S TOO SOON TO SEE WHAT
CHANGES WILL BE MADE BUT FOR
PEOPLE LIKE CHRISTINE, THAT
CAN'T COME SOON ENOUGH.
>> THIS IS JUST GOING TO BE
THIS FOREVER UNTIL THERE ARE
BIG PICTURE CHANGES.
AND, IT IS JUST GOING TO BE
THIS LEVEL OF INTENSITY AND
THIS LEVEL