Prineville, Ore. — The Oregon Supreme Court’s recent right-to-counsel decision has resulted in the dismissal of nearly 1,500 criminal cases statewide, but no such dismissals have been reported in Crook County.
The ruling, which imposes firm deadlines on the state to provide court-appointed attorneys for defendants who qualify, has already reshaped court dockets across Oregon. Cases lacking timely representation must be dismissed, a consequence the Court said is necessary to enforce constitutional protections.
Following the court’s decision on Feb. 5th, the Prineville Review reached out to Crook County District Attorney Kari Hathorn this week for her reaction. Hathorn told us that Crook County is not currently experiencing unrepresented defendant cases that would be affected by the ruling. That placed the county in a markedly different position than many of Oregon’s larger jurisdictions.
“We currently do not have any cases that are unrepresented in Crook County,” Hathorn said. “However, between June and October 2025, we did have cases on the unrepresented list. I have significant concerns that the Oregon Public Defenders Commission has not addressed the root issues and our community may face the issue once again in the future.”
The Supreme Court’s decision has triggered widespread dismissals in counties where public defense shortages have left defendants without counsel for extended periods. While most of the affected cases are concentrated in metropolitan areas, the ruling has drawn attention to structural pressures facing courts statewide.
Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez and Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton said the Supreme Court’s decision is expected to affect 1,465 criminal prosecutions across Oregon. 915 of those cases originate in Multnomah County, while 263 are tied to Washington County, according to a statement released by Vasquez and Barton.
“Cases subject to dismissal include crimes such as drug trafficking, aggravated theft, firearms and weapons offenses, felony DUII, and strangulation,” they said. “This will cause real pain and harm to victims and the public.”
Hathorn cautioned that Crook County’s current stability does not eliminate longer-term risks tied to Oregon’s public defense system.
“Oregon taxpayers, victims, criminal defendants, and our communities deserve a functioning criminal justice system,” Hathorn told the Prineville Review. “OPDC must ensure that it provides the services for which it is funded and it should do so with transparency.”
Under the Court’s framework, dismissals tied to representation delays are generally issued without prejudice, allowing prosecutors to refile charges once counsel is available, and if still within the statute of limitations.
The dismissals come amid a leadership transition at the Oregon Public Defense Commission, the state agency responsible for contracting defense attorneys for qualifying defendants. On Jan. 23rd, 2026, Governor Tina Kotek announced the appointment of Ken Sanchagrin as OPDC’s permanent executive director, pending Senate confirmation. Sanchagrin had served as interim director since April 2025 during a period of long-running public defense challenges.
Mr. Alderman is an investigative journalist specializing in government transparency, non-profit accountability, consumer protection, and is a subject matter expert on Oregon’s public records and meetings laws. As a former U.S. Army Military Police Officer, he brings a disciplined investigative approach to his reporting that has frequently exposed ethics violations, financial mismanagement, and transparency failures by public officials and agencies.
