Oregon Public Defense Commission outlines reforms, growth and unrepresented-persons response

Jessica Campey, executive director of the Oregon Public Defense Commission, told the joint Senate and House Judiciary committees that the agency has pursued structural reforms, new oversight tools and expanded state-provided defense since the 2019 6th Amendment Study.

The presentation summarized historical drivers, changes made under 2023’s Senate Bill 337, and near-term implementation steps, including standing up three state trial offices, adopting maximum attorney caseload standards and moving toward a timekeeping model for attorney oversight.

“What we are here today to talk to you all about really falls into four categories,” Campey said, introducing the commission’s work: the history of public defense in Oregon, Senate Bill 337, delivery-system changes and the unrepresented-persons crisis. She described the 2019 6th Amendment Center report as a catalyst that identified four major problems: weak financial oversight, conflicts from a fixed-fee model, commission composition not matching…