Mikey's term paper

I see that as one of his last official acts, former Multnomah County district attorney Mike Schmidt had his minions put together a glossy 40 pages to remind us of how well it all went under his command. He makes it sound like his was a balanced administration, but the voters weren't buying that when he was trying to sell it last year, and I doubt that history will accept it, either.

But for the record, here's how he sums it up:

Over the last four years, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office has faced a number of unprecedented challenges, beginning with the resignation of the previous District Attorney five months before the end of his term. My first day in office– August 1, 2020– marked the 60th day of ongoing protests in Portland where community members called for racial justice and increased police accountability in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. We were still in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, when county offices and courts were limiting services and moving to remote work causing case backlogs and a growing – and increasingly unmet– demand for services. Notwithstanding a local and national spike in crime during the pandemic and a now multi-year shortage of public defenders in Oregon, MCDA has maintained its focus on delivering policy and program reforms, while preserving and expanding the core prosecutorial functions of the office. 

As a team we rose to meet the challenges head on. In light of rising gun violence and its pronounced impact on the community, MCDA partnered with Oregon Health & Science University in 2022 to develop gun violence prevention strategies using a public health approach. In collaboration with local law enforcement agencies, we launched interagency task forces with dedicated prosecutors and investigators to address rising rates of auto theft and organized retail theft. We rewrote the law on catalytic converters, and successfully lobbied the legislature for its passage leading to a major decline in that type of crime in our community. The office even reinstated the old neighborhood prosecution unit renaming it the Multnomah County Access Attorney Program (MAAP), which facilitates access to neighborhood-based prosecutors, and works in conjunction with community-based partners to provide a hands-on resource for crime-affected citizens and businesses.

And most recently, in response to the known dynamics of domestic violence, the office was selected as one of two national sites to launch a trauma-informed diversion for criminalized survivors of domestic violence to help interrupt cycles of abuse and foster healthier families. At the same time we addressed pressing community challenges, we never lost sight of the reasons Multnomah County elected me in the first place. The Justice Integrity Unit was created to critically evaluate past convictions and handle thousands of more expungements. An immigration-neutral prosecution policy was developed with community members and implemented. A workforce that better reflects the diverse communities we serve was expanded. A restorative justice program that promotes accountability for defendants and healing for victims was launched. And with county partners we built STEP Court–a first-of-its kind specialty court for certain Ballot Measure 11 offenders that facilitates treatment for addiction, mental health, and cognitive behavioral issues. All reforms that have proven that we can make our community more safe AND work to right size a bloated and inequitable criminal justice system. All of these programmatic accomplishments were achieved while strengthening the day-to-day prosecutorial work of the office, as evidenced by prosecution rates that are presently at seven and eight year highs. Notwithstanding the very public misinformation campaigns targeting the office and the work of the DA, the past two years have been marked by consistently decreasing crime rates, and increasingly safer streets.

While progress has been tangible within the agency, very real challenges lie ahead for the county’s public safety system. The criminal justice system is a complex interconnected ecosystem. When one part fails, the ripples are felt throughout its entirety. As my term comes to an end, wait times for people attempting to report crimes and asking for assistance in Portland are too long. Chronic vacancies in police agencies and the jail limit the ability to investigate and interdict crime. Guns are too readily available and used all too often on our streets. Multnomah County lacks adequate services to address the legitimate housing, addiction, and mental health crisis that it faces. Resources for victims of crime are often too limited to provide meaningful assistance to those that seek safety, justice, and healing. Acknowledging that MCDA represents but one component of a heavily stressed system, I’m proud of how the office has risen to the occasion of these unprecedented challenges and withstood substantial pressure over the last four years. The greatest resource of our agency is its people, who are mission-driven and who continue to show up every day to serve their community. It has been a privilege to serve Multnomah County as the District Attorney these past four years.

Whatever. The end. Mercifully.