What are the goals of this district attorneys office?.
Well, we are charged with prosecuting all crimes in Washington county. We also decide whether or not a crime was committed and if it was either a misdemeanor or a felony. We handle no civil cases whatsoever.
What services do you provide to this county?.
We have two different offices, one for adult felonies and misdemeanors, and one for all juvenile cases. All of our deputy attorneys along with our court staff prepare all court cases to go to trial whether or not they actually do.
What do you mean by that?.
Ninety-five percent of all cases never go to trial, most plead guilty because they want to just get it over with. And we have to prepare each trial because if we don't, then the defense can say that we thought it would not even go through and the will use that against us. .
How long has this county had its District Attorney office?.
Since 1859, all of Oregon's counties have had one since the state was created.
How long is the District Attorney's term?.
The District Attorney himself has an elected four year term, and deputy attorneys like me are county employees along with the entire office staff.
How does this agency measure its success?.
Mostly by the problems across our state and county, but it is very difficult because, "how do you judge a professionals work?" Every single case we handle is different, but if I had to say how we are measured it would be through peer reviews from our fellow attorneys and staff.
The District Attorney himself keeps everyone here in check, we assign different cases to different types of attorneys. Also the way are support staff works together and with us is a pretty clear indication of how we"re doing.
What are the qualifications of your job?.
For the Deputy DA they are:.
• High School diploma.
• 4 year college degree, but the type of degree doesn't matter.
• Law school.
• Pass the bar exam (which they have made harder).