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Clackamas County designates district attorney to handle civil-commitment hearings after months of debate
Summary
After extended public comment and debate, the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners approved a board order (4–1) designating the district attorney's office to represent the state in civil-commitment proceedings. Supporters and advocates urged caution, asking for continued coordination and oversight.
The Clackamas County Board of Commissioners voted March 19 to designate the district attorney’s office as the county representative in civil-commitment proceedings, approving a board order after an hours-long discussion and public comment period.
Supporters of the move, including County Council and the DA’s office, said the designation restores a traditional, constitutionally grounded role to the district attorney and ensures consistent, legally rigorous representation in hearings overseen by judges. County counsel Billy Williams told the board his office lacks staffing to sustain long-term representation and that the DA’s office has the institutional capacity and constitutional authority to take the work.
Opponents — including mental-health advocates and several speakers during public comment — urged the board to keep civil commitments with county counsel, arguing the matters are civil rather than criminal and that county counsel offers a more civil-focused posture. Amanda J. Marshall, an attorney who testified in person, emphasized that civil commitments are civil cases that deserve “subject matter expertise and consistency in representation,” and said moving them to prosecutors risks adding criminal optics to a health-focused process.
District Attorney John Wentworth acknowledged the workload and said his office will absorb the responsibility, but urged continued engagement with advocates and staff. Commissioners debated resources and oversight: several asked for follow-up meetings between the DA, county counsel and community advocates to shore up service delivery and address concerns about law-student staffing or case handling.
Motion and vote: Commissioner West moved to approve the board order designating the district attorney’s office to handle civil-commitment proceedings (item B1). The motion passed 4–1; Chair Roberts voted no. Commissioners requested that the DA and county counsel meet promptly with the advocates who testified so the offices can coordinate eligibility criteria, case-handling expectations, and oversight.
The board’s action changes the county’s operational steward for civil-commitment representation; the hearings remain civil processes overseen by judges and the county retains the ability to track the service model and return to the board if implementation problems emerge.
