Jefferson County hosts Q&A with two applicants to recommend candidate for governor's DA appointment

The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners scheduled and hosted public question-and-answer sessions on June 15 with two applicants being considered for appointment by the governor to fill a vacancy in the Jefferson County District Attorney's office.

Format and participants Theboard arranged 30-minute segments for each candidate and invited local system partners to participate in Q&A; participants included the county sheriff, a city police chief and the local community corrections director. The intent was to gather local feedback to share with the governor's office, which retains the statutory authority to appoint a district attorney to fill a vacancy.

Candidates and focus - Danielle DeCant, Hood River County deputy district attorney. DeCant described experience in discovery reform and case workflow improvements and emphasized collaboration with law enforcement and community resources. She said she favors restorative-justice alternatives for appropriate nonviolent matters and described plans to pursue specialty courts (for example, a domestic-violence specialty court) to provide supervised diversion and treatment in lieu of conviction for eligible cases. - Steve LaRiche, acting Jefferson County district attorney (27 years in the office, including JAG experience). LaRiche described his long service in Jefferson County, his existing relationships with local law-enforcement and community partners, and his view that continuity in the office and a steady hand are critical during a transition. LaRiche said he would support an appointee and offered to assist any new district attorney if appointed.

Topics covered Commissioners and law-enforcement partners focused questions in five areas: - Handling of alleged police misconduct and the balance of accountability and impartiality in cases involving law‑enforcement officers. - Policies toward first‑time domestic‑violence cases and how diversion or specialty courts might be used. - Experience prosecuting child‑abuse and sexual‑assault cases and how candidates would support investigative resources and victim services. - Fit with Jefferson County’s rural character and community expectations; each candidate addressed outreach and engagement strategies. - Case‑management and office leadership under the county’s historically high serious‑crime caseload.

What the board asked the governor's office The commissioners told both candidates that the board would forward feedback to the governor's office. The commissioners and invited partners also said they would welcome further meetings if the governor seeks additional local input.

Why this matters The district attorney is a locally critical position: the appointee would lead the county’s criminal prosecutions and shape public‑safety and diversion priorities. Jefferson County has experienced a higher than average serious‑crime caseload in recent years, and local partners stressed the value of prosecutorial experience, the ability to work with small‑town law enforcement and the capacity to run specialty programs that reduce recidivism.

What the governor will do next Under Oregon law the governor makes the appointment to fill a local district‑attorney vacancy. The board provided the governor's office with notes from the June 15 sessions and indicated the board would make additional written comments if requested.

Ending Both candidates thanked the board and local partners. Commissioners emphasized that comments from the session were intended to inform the governor’s appointment process rather than to predetermine the result.