Acting Jefferson County district attorney warns staffing shortages limit civil-commitment work

Acting Jefferson County District Attorney Steve delivered the office’s annual update at the March 19 Board of Commissioners meeting in Madras, saying the office remains short-handed and that staffing levels are constraining some duties.

Steve said staffing remains largely the same for prosecutors but that Deputy District Attorney Mikaela Walters has accepted a position with the U.S. Department of Justice and will leave Jefferson County in April; the office is actively recruiting deputies and has pursued recent law‑school graduates under school‑appearance authority. He said that without additional deputy DAs the office may no longer be able to carry out civil-commitment proceedings locally — a function that has been performed in-house in prior years when staffing permitted.

Why it matters: civil commitments and criminal prosecutions require dedicated prosecutorial time and supervision. Steve told the board that heavy criminal caseloads, limits on indigent-defense contract capacity, and competition from higher-paying or more flexible positions elsewhere are all complicating recruitment and retention. The office has tried to recruit through direct hires, law‑school-appearance hires, and asking for temporary assistance from the Oregon Department of Justice when needed.

What commissioners asked and directed: commissioners pressed on the size and shape of ideal staffing, and on options to make Jefferson County more competitive. Steve and others described a typical staffing target as a DA, a chief deputy, two or three senior prosecutors (DA II/DA III), and DA I-level attorneys for routine work. Commissioners and the acting DA discussed pay as the primary lever local government can control to attract experienced candidates; they also flagged housing, amenities and supervision burdens as structural recruitment challenges for rural offices.

Next steps: the board said it will continue conversations about the county budget and salary competitiveness. Steve told commissioners the office will continue to prioritize violent cases and seek DOJ assistance if necessary; staff said they will return with staffing and budget recommendations for the board to consider in the county’s next budget cycle.

Attributions: statements in this article are drawn from the DA’s presentation during the March 19 meeting and commissioner questions recorded in the public minutes. Direct quotes in the meeting transcript were from the acting district attorney (Steve) and commissioners, as noted in the transcript.