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Yamhill County district attorney reports full staffing, flags HB 2005 and resource needs for juvenile waiver cases
Summary
District Attorney Kate Lynch told the Board the office has filled prior prosecutor vacancies and improved operations, but warned House Bill 2005 and two resource‑intensive juvenile waiver hearings — including one homicide case with 8,900 pages of discovery — will increase workload and costs (including an estimated $30,000 in expert fees).
Kate Lynch, Yamhill County district attorney, told the Board of Commissioners on Jan. 15 that her office has filled five prosecutor vacancies and is now fully staffed, a change she said has improved morale and the department’s ability to handle cases.
Lynch said the criminal division currently has 12 funded deputy district attorney (DDA) positions and 12 funded support‑staff positions, plus specialized prosecutors for domestic violence, child abuse and elder abuse. She reported the office filed 1,639 circuit‑court cases in 2025, including 184 domestic‑violence cases, 96 child‑abuse cases, 39 elder‑abuse cases and 332 DUI cases. Lynch said crime‑victim assistance (CVA) supported about 1,400 victims last year — roughly 200 fewer than 2024 — while operating with reduced staff for part of the year because of uncertain VOCA funding.
The DA credited new digital workflows for efficiency gains, describing a streamlined, all‑digital process for obtaining and sharing jail booking videos that eliminated time‑consuming CD and thumb‑drive handling and saved clerical time.
“Everything now is pretty much digital,” Lynch said, describing daily savings she estimated at 15–45 minutes per legal‑secretary position. She also said new DDA 1 hires have “flourished” with the ability to provide more dedicated training.
Lynch warned the board that House Bill 2005 — which she said will make it easier for judges to meet criteria for civil commitments — is likely to increase the number of civil‑commitment hearings and add to prosecutor workload. She described the time commitment for civil‑commitment and waiver proceedings as substantial but said the change was “a good thing for the state” while cautioning staff time will need monitoring.
On juvenile waiver‑to‑adult proceedings, Lynch detailed two ongoing waiver efforts, including a homicide case that generated 8,900 pages of discovery, roughly 200 hours of video, 1,500 photographs, 15 evidence discs and involvement from nine law‑enforcement agencies. She said preparing for and conducting waiver hearings has required hundreds of staff hours and that expert witness fees for these matters could total about $30,000 per hearing.
The DA also described trends in drug prosecutions, saying fuller staffing and closer collaboration with the sheriff’s narcotics unit have allowed the office to pursue higher‑level dealer cases that previously may not have been fully investigated. Lynch said the office filed hundreds of drug‑related cases and expected that work to continue in 2026.
On diversion and deflection, Lynch reported 2,003 referrals since Sept. 24, with 146 qualifying for deflection, 42 assessed and nine currently engaged in services. She said attrition — including multiple failures to appear — limits enrollment, but that recent funding restored the deflection prosecutor position to full funding and included up to $150,000 over two years for victim restitution.
Commissioners asked for follow‑up on deflection eligibility criteria and outreach plans for victim services; Lynch said written criteria are available and that she and CVA Director Cecilia Martinez are planning community outreach with partners such as Juliet’s House and Henderson House.
Next steps: Lynch offered to provide documents on deflection eligibility, anticipated cost estimates tied to HB 2005, and follow‑up materials about CVA staffing and anticipated expenditures.
