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DA candidate visits town, pledges to tackle 'revolving door' and bolster prosecutions for animal cruelty
Summary
A locally visiting candidate for district attorney told residents the DA's office should represent the whole county and proposed clearer prosecutorial direction, expanded diversion for low‑level offenders and better support for animal‑welfare cases.
A visitor who identified herself as running for district attorney in Clackamas County told a town meeting she wants the office to “represent the entire county” and hear from smaller towns about local problems such as traffic safety and burglary. The visitor asked residents what they wanted the DA’s office to prioritize and invited follow‑up contact via her campaign site, VoteForValerie.org; she noted the Democratic primary is June 9.
The candidate said local law‑enforcement officers and chiefs have told her they face a “revolving door” in which people arrested for repeat crimes are repeatedly released. “What happens when you let a burglar go is they burgle again,” she said, arguing the DA’s office should advocate more effectively to help judges distinguish which defendants pose a public‑safety threat.
On bail policy, the candidate described repeated motions to revoke bail that often do not lead to custody. She said part of the problem is a lack of office policies and guidance for line prosecutors and urged clearer direction and case prioritization from the top so staff know when to press for detention.
Representing animal control interests, a speaker identifying themself as the ACO for Baldwin Sanders said prosecutions for animal cruelty rarely reach conviction and described cases as frequently dropped. “I can charge somebody all day long for animal cruelty, it gets dropped 97% of the time,” the ACO said, asking how the candidate would change that.
The candidate said two steps could help: (1) better case assignment and management so prosecutors who care about a subject handle related cases, and (2) pre‑filing diversion for low‑level, first‑time offenders that would reduce caseloads and free assistant district attorneys to focus on more serious crimes and under‑prioritized areas such as animal welfare. She described a Scarborough Police Department model where diversion occurs before a case enters the court system and said this saves prosecutorial time.
She also described prior work in multiple counties (including Sagadahoc) rebuilding relationships with law enforcement and stressed that collaboration between chiefs and the DA’s office is necessary for effective prosecution. The candidate said her legal training and public‑policy background inform her approach and invited residents to contact her campaign with local concerns.
The meeting did not record any formal commitment or ordinance; the visit was presented as a campaign outreach and listening session.
