Lincoln County District Attorney reviews caseloads, specialty courts and victim services to Newport council

Lincoln County District Attorney Jenna Wallace told the Newport City Council that her office has been rebuilding staff capacity while continuing prosecution and specialty court operations and victim services across the county.

Wallace said she was appointed early and began an elected term in January; when she first took over she reported being dramatically short‑staffed. "When I first took over, on July first of 2024, it was me and one other deputy district attorney prosecuting crime here in Lincoln County," Wallace said. She reported that the office currently has six deputy district attorneys assisting her and that the office filed 1,682 cases in 2024, with property crimes the largest single category (609 cases) and more than 300 DUIs reported.

Wallace outlined the county’s specialty treatment courts, which she described as a central element of the DA office’s strategy. She said Lincoln County operates drug court and Hope Court (for drug‑dependent individuals receiving alternatives to prison), family support court, mental health and wellness court, a domestic violence docket and a competency court that addresses low‑level crimes where mental illness affects fitness for trial. She gave participant counts and openings: for example, drug court had 27 active participants and 5 openings; Hope Court had 12 active participants and 9 openings; mental health and wellness court had 12 active participants and 2 openings.

Wallace described the DA’s office role in multidisciplinary teams on child abuse, elder abuse, sexual assault response, human trafficking and domestic abuse, and she said the office responds to serious incidents including homicides and officer‑involved shootings when necessary. She noted three homicides were under investigation last year and that the office participates in grand juries and civil commitment proceedings.

On victim services, Wallace said the office recorded more than 2,000 individual crime victims in 2024 and logged 28,428 victim contacts or services (calls, notifications and outreach). She also described the county’s child support enforcement unit, which manages more than 600 cases and serves roughly 1,250 children; the office collected about $1.6 million in past‑due child support last year.

Councilors asked about staffing, capacity and funding. Wallace said the office is keeping up with filings but at the cost of increased overtime and expressed concern about staff burnout if hires do not continue. She said the office receives some federal funding and that an approximate figure of 20% of the office budget might come from federal sources, though she did not confirm that number on the record and offered to provide a precise breakdown to the council.

Wallace also said she can deputize outside attorneys to prosecute cases — for example, county counsel — if there is a need and the attorney is licensed in Oregon. She indicated willingness to work with county counsel on environmental cases where criminal prosecution is appropriate but noted limited in‑house capacity to take on all civil or environmental enforcement matters.

The council did not take formal action on the presentation; councilors thanked Wallace and invited an annual return.