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Oregon: Medical Neglect of Diabetic Detainee Nets $260,000 Settlement

Article • October 26, 2015 • from PLN November, 2015

Filed under: Nervous System, Diabetes, Podiatry, Skeletal Disorder, Failure to Treat

Oregon: Medical Neglect of Diabetic Detainee Nets $260,000 Settlement by Mark Wilson Oregon: Medical Neglect of Diabetic Detainee Nets $260,000 Settlement by Mark Wilson A former Oregon jail detainee received $260,000 to settle his lawsuit alleging inadequate medical care. Since 2008, Franklin Millner has suffered from “Charcot foot” – a …

News in Brief

Article • October 26, 2015 • from PLN November, 2015

News in Brief by News in Brief California: On April 21, 2015, San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi announced that 30 body cameras would soon be deployed by jailers working within Jail No. 4. He said he hopes that the new equipment will emphasize transparency and accountability in his department, which …

Deaf Prisoner Settles Discrimination Suit for $150,000

Article • October 26, 2015 • from PLN November, 2015

Filed under: Deaf Prisoners, Disabled Prisoners, Americans with Disabilities Act

Deaf Prisoner Settles Discrimination Suit for $150,000 by Mark Wilson Deaf Prisoner Settles Discrimination Suit for $150,000 by Mark Wilson To settle what some are describing as a landmark disability discrimination case, Oregon prison officials agreed to pay a deaf prisoner $150,000. Merle Baldridge, 42, is deaf and uses American …

No Risk of Self-Representation Colloquy Invalidates Oregon Conviction

Article • October 15, 2015

Filed under: Appointment of Counsel, Attorney Client, Appeals

No Risk of Self-Representation Colloquy Invalidates Oregon Conviction by No Risk of Self-Representation Colloquy Invalidates Oregon Conviction On July 23, 2014, the Oregon Court of Appeals reversed an Oregon woman’s convictions, finding that she did not understand the risks of self-representation. Christina Todd was charged with twelve prostitution-related offenses. By …

Two Oregon Cops Removed for Criminal Conduct

Article • October 13, 2015

Filed under: Assault by Police, Harassment by Police, Police Misconduct

Two Oregon Cops Removed for Criminal Conduct by Mark Wilson Two Oregon Cops Removed for Criminal Conduct by Mark Wilson An Oregon State Police (OSP) evidence technician was arrested after an undisclosed amount of money was stolen from the evidence room at the Newport Command Center. On March 31, 2008, …

Prosecutor PowerPoint: “Silence = Guilt” Vacates Oregon Murder Conviction

Article • October 13, 2015

Filed under: Prosecutor/Attorney General Misconduct, Prosecutors, Appeals

Prosecutor PowerPoint: “Silence = Guilt” Vacates Oregon Murder Conviction by Prosecutor PowerPoint: “Silence = Guilt” Vacates Oregon Murder Conviction On October 15, 2014, the Oregon Court of Appeals vacated a murder conviction, holding that a prosecutor’s PowerPoint presentation impermissibly commented on a Defendant’s invocation of his right to remain silent. …

$562,129 Awarded to Oregon Man for Police Brutality

Article • October 12, 2015

Filed under: Stun Guns/Tasers, Excessive Force (Police)

$562,129 Awarded to Oregon Man for Police Brutality by $562,129 Awarded to Oregon Man for Police Brutality In the largest excessive force verdict in city history, an Oregon jury awarded a Portland man $562,129 on September 29, 2014. In June 2011, Jason Cox was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving …

Untreated Drug Offenders Cost Oregon $21.6 Million

Article • October 9, 2015

Filed under: Statistics/Trends, Cost of Prison Systems, Probation, Parole Conditions, Drug Treatment/Rehab

Untreated Drug Offenders Cost Oregon $21.6 Million by Mark Wilson Untreated Drug Offenders Cost Oregon $21.6 Million by Mark Wilson Failing to treat substance abuse addictions of nearly half of the highest risk Oregon offenders, released between 2008 and 2011, cost crime victims and the state an estimated $21.6 million, …

Oregon Court-Appointed Attorney Fees Require Ability to Pay

Article • October 6, 2015

Filed under: Indigent Defense, Costs

Oregon Court-Appointed Attorney Fees Require Ability to Pay by Oregon Court-Appointed Attorney Fees Require Ability to Pay On September 10, 2014, the Oregon Court of Appeals reversed a $600 attorney fee award imposed on a criminal defendant because the trial court failed to make a finding as to the defendant’s …

$10 Million Budgeted to Oregon Counties for Criminal Justice Reforms

Article • October 6, 2015

Filed under: Cost of Prison Systems, Parole, Probation, Alternative Sentencing, State Legislation

$10 Million Budgeted to Oregon Counties for Criminal Justice Reforms by Mark Wilson $10 Million Budgetetd to Oregon Counties for Criminal Justice Reforms by Mark Wilson On August 1, 2013, the Oregon legislature passed a sentencing reform bill, designed to shift “low level” offenders from prison to community corrections. With …

News In Brief

Article • September 24, 2015 • from PLN October, 2015

Filed under: News in Brief

News In Brief by Alabama: On April 9, 2013, Kenneth Wayne Patton was arrested on a domestic violence charge. When he arrived at the Etowah County Jail, he informed guards that he used to be employed at the St. Clair Correctional Facility and should be put in protective custody. Despite …

Oregon Prisoner’s “Release” from Mental Hospital to Prison Reversed

Article • September 22, 2015

Filed under: Hearing, Mental Health, Civil Commitment

Oregon Prisoner’s “Release” from Mental Hospital to Prison Reversed by Oregon Prisoner’s “Release” from Mental Hospital to Prison Reversed The Oregon Court of Appeals reversed an order conditionally releasing a hospitalized mentally ill prisoner to prison. In 2010, Robert Erskine was found guilty except for insanity of burglary. He was …

Restitution Order Upheld in Oregon Driving Case

Article • September 22, 2015

Filed under: State Law Claims, Retroactivity, Restitution

Restitution Order Upheld in Oregon Driving Case by Restitution Order Upheld in Oregon Driving Case The Oregon Court of Appeals held that a trial court properly increased a defendant’s restitution obligation five months after sentencing. Kirk Douglas Thompson was convicted of a driving offense after crashing into a stop sign …

Veteran Oregon Police Officer Guilty of Sex Crimes

Article • September 21, 2015

Filed under: Staff-Staff Assault, Assault by Police, Police Misconduct

Veteran Oregon Police Officer Guilty of Sex Crimes by Veteran Oregon Police Officer Guilty of Sex Crimes On July 24, 2013, Stefan Zeltvay, a 17-year veteran of Oregon’s Eugene Police Department (EPD), pleaded guilty to sex crimes against six women, including co-workers and a fellow officer’s wife. Zeltvay, 44, was …

Oregon Workgroup Recommends Strategies to Deal with Prison Medical Care Costs

Article • August 28, 2015 • from PLN September, 2015

Filed under: HIV/AIDS, Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Medical Records, Medical Expenses, Diabetes, Hepatitis

Oregon Workgroup Recommends Strategies to Deal with Prison Medical Care Costs by Mark Wilson Oregon Workgroup Recommends Strategies to Deal with Prison Medical Care Costs by Mark Wilson State officials in Oregon continue to grapple with the rising cost of prisoner health care, which largely stems from a rapidly-expanding population …

Brown v. Stored Value Cards, OR, Complaint, Debit Release Cards, 2015

Filing • July 22, 2015

Filed under: Money/Property

Brown v. Stored Value Cards, OR, Complaint, Debit Release Cards, 2015 Case 3:15-cv-01370-MO Document 1 Filed 07/22/15 Page 1 of 17 BENJAMIN HAILE, OSB #040660 ben@portlandlawcollective.com Portland Law Collective, LLP 1130 SW Morrison St, Suite 407 Portland, OR 97205 Telephone: (503) 228-1889 Facsimile: (503) 223-4518 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT …

American Humanist Association v. USA, OR, Settlement, Humanist Religious Rights, 2015

Brief • July 19, 2015

Filed under: Religious Discrimination, Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Religious Freedom, Denial of Religious Services, Religious Practices, Clergy, Religion Defined

American Humanist Association v. USA, OR, Settlement, Humanist Religious Rights, 2015 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF OREGON PORTLAND DIVISION AMERICAN HUMANIST ASSOCIATION and JASON MICHAEL HOLDEN, Case No. 3:14-CV-00565-HZ Plaintiffs, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS; FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION, SHERIDAN, OREGON; BOP WESTERN REGIONAL DIRECTOR JUAN …

Federal Jury Finds Oregon Cop Fabricated Evidence; Plaintiffs Awarded $30,000

Article • July 2, 2015

Filed under: Police Misconduct, Prosecutor/Attorney General Misconduct

Federal Jury Finds Oregon Cop Fabricated Evidence; Plaintiffs Awarded $30,000 by Federal Jury Finds Oregon Cop Fabricated Evidence; Plaintiffs Awarded $30,000 A federal jury awarded an Oregon family $30,000 against a police officer who fabricated evidence in 2010. After the verdict, prosecutors imposed the “law enforcement death penalty,” dismissing the …

Single Oregon Probation Violation Requires Concurrent Sanctions

Article • July 1, 2015

Filed under: Probation

Single Oregon Probation Violation Requires Concurrent Sanctions by Mark Wilson Single Oregon Probation Violation Requires Concurrent Sanctions by Mark Wilson The Oregon Court of Appeals held that multiple sanctions for a single probation violation must be concurrent. “If more than one term of probationary supervision is revoked for a single …

Oregon Prison Staffing Audit Reveals Little to No Potential Cost-Savings

Article • June 12, 2015

Filed under: Cost of Prison Systems, Staffing

Oregon Prison Staffing Audit Reveals Little to No Potential Cost-Savings by Mark Wilson Oregon Prison Staffing Audit Reveals Little to No Potential Cost-Savings by Mark Wilson As Oregon prison officials scramble to reduce a $1.4 billion bi-annual corrections budget, the Secretary of State released an audit concluding that they are …