Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office FY 2021 Informational Budget Packet TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................................4 UNIT A/B......................................................................................................................................................................7 MULTNOMAH COUNTY JUSTICE REINVESTMENT PROGRAM DESCRIPTION..................................19 UNIT C..........................................................................................................................................................................21 UNIT D.........................................................................................................................................................................30 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE UNIT................................................................................................................................39 MULTIDISCIPLINARY CHILD ABUSE TEAM....................................................................................................48 PRETRIAL UNIT........................................................................................................................................................58 MISDEMEANOR TRIAL UNIT..............................................................................................................................70 STRATEGIC PROSECUTION AND SERVICES UNIT......................................................................................82 JUVENILE UNIT.......................................................................................................................................................94 SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT DIVISION............................................................................................................102 VICTIM’S ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.................................................................................................................109 RECIDIVISM.............................................................................................................................................................120 OUR WORK TO REDUCE RACIAL AND ETHNIC DISPARITIES IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM....................................................................................................................................................................124 CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION AND THE DA’S EQUITY DIGNITY AND OPPORTUNITY COUNCIL.................................................................................................................................................................183 INTRODUCTION Today, we find ourselves in a vastly different position than we were exactly one year ago. The global pandemic resulting from the coronavirus is having a drastic and significant impact on our criminal justice system. This office quickly and responsibly implemented sweeping operational changes to protect the health and well-being of our employees and community. As a result of those prudent and intentional changes, we have minimized – to the best of our ability – any resource and service interruptions. We continue to stridently serve our community in the midst of this pandemic because our mission and dedication remains unchanged. I can only describe the efforts of our team as remarkable. They adapted quickly and professionally to ensure our justice system remained open and fair to all individuals as we balanced and continued to support the needs of public health, public safety and crime victims. This informational budget packet for FY21, will give you an understanding of the work we do each day. It will also highlight our programs and initiatives that continue to provide positive outcomes for justice involved individuals and for our community. Our programs – working collaboratively with system and community-based partners – strive to lessen the impacts of the criminal justice system. The benefits of these efforts, as demonstrated through the Multnomah County Justice Reinvestment Program (MCJRP), continue to position our jurisdiction as a national leader for the responsible use of jail and prison beds, among other issues. During FY20, we continued to prioritize our commitment to protecting the rights of vulnerable and underserved populations. Multnomah County was the first jurisdiction in Oregon to issue and then secure a conviction under the state’s new bias crime law. We know these crimes have a profound impact on not only the victim but on the community as well. In one of our cases this year, the victim, an immigrant and restaurant owner, was threatened, subjected to hate speech, mocked and assaulted all because she spoke Spanish. Our victim advocates work closely with the restaurant owner to support, guide and provide her resources. When it came to sentencing, the victim shut down her restaurant – her only source of income – so she could come downtown and address the court in person. In moments like this I am reminded of the importance of supporting crime victims. To that end, in FY20, our victim advocates assisted more than 3,000 crime victims. In the Domestic Violence Unit alone we had more than 1,500 cases that were assigned a victim advocate. The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office is committed to the open and balanced administration of justice – one that honors and respects diversity in all of 4 5 its forms – and works diligently to protect children and victims of crime. We face considerable challenges in the immediate and long-term future as a result of the coronavirus. These demands will strain and test our entire criminal justice system. I am confident, however, that the staff of the district attorney’s office will be able to overcome these hardships with the professionalism and unwavering commitment to public service that I have seen firsthand over the last seven years as your district attorney. A lot has changed in the criminal justice system since I first joined the district attorney’s office more than 30 years ago. I am proud of the work we have accomplished and the work that we will continue to achieve. With continued support and resources, this office will remain a national leader when it comes to effecting positive and meaningful change within the criminal justice system while being deeply rooted in supporting crime victims and their families. Respectfully, Rod Underhill 4 5 Photo: Unit A/B Deputy District Attorney Leslie Wu 6 7 Unit A/B UNIT DESCRIPTION Unit A/B Deputy District Attorneys (DDAs) review, issue and prosecute felony property crimes, felony traffic offenses, and felony drug crimes. The unit also coordinates all drug overdose death investigations. DDAs designated to the District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Team and the White Collar Crimes/Elder Abuse Team are assigned to Unit A/B. These DDAs also maintain a general caseload and regular trial schedule. Unit A/B DDAs are assigned to participate in a number of treatment/specialty courts including the Multnomah County Sanctions Treatment Opportunities Progress (STOP) Drug Court, DUII Intensive Supervision Program (DISP) Court, Success Through Accountability, Restitution and Treatment (START) Court and Multnomah County Justice Reinvestment Program (MCJRP). The Human Trafficking Team is comprised of two FTE DDAs who are responsible for managing all human trafficking and commercial sex trafficking-related cases in Multnomah County. The DDAs are active participants of specialty courts including the First Offender Program, Sex Buyers Accountability and Diversion Program, and Community Court. Both members of the Human Trafficking Team are involved with extensive community outreach and attend and conduct training on a local and national level, are assigned to multiple task forces, and are on-call around the clock for law enforcement. The two DDAs assigned to the White Collar Crimes/Elder Abuse Team work directly with detectives throughout Multnomah County to investigate and prosecute high-dollar embezzlement cases and to investigate and prosecute crimes, such as abuse, neglect and financial exploitation against people older than 65. Other specialty in-unit designations: Felony DUII DDA: This DDA is responsible for prosecuting all felony DUII cases. This caseload includes managing all cases and hearings in the DUII Intensive Supervision Program (DISP) Court, which is a program for high-risk repeat DUII offenders. Organized Retail Theft DDA: This DDA is responsible for prosecuting organized retail theft cases, which continues to be a problem for businesses of all size in Multnomah County. 6 7 START Court DDA: This DDA is responsible for representing the State of Oregon in the Success Through Accountability, Restitution and Treatment (START) Court, which is a long-standing drug treatment court in Multnomah County. Stolen Vehicles DDA: This DDA is responsible for reviewing cases that involve stolen cars and works with law enforcement to strategically build cases for prosecution on repeat offenders. The DDA assigned to this position often provides regular training to law enforcement on Oregon case law surrounding stolen cars. Restitution DDA: This DDA is responsible for facilitating unpaid restitution matters. Unit A/B DDAs participate in a variety of specialty units such as the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit; the Portland Police Bureau’s Drug and Vice Unit and Street Crimes Unit; the Port of Portland Police Department’s