Danielle Bethell, a Marion County commissioner running for governor, recently crudely criticized public defenders, saying they were ducking their duty for personal pursuits. Bethell also said in an eastern Oregon campaign swing that she wants to reopen two closed Oregon prisons. She seemingly was unaware the state prison system no longer owns the prisons, including one just a few miles from Bethell’s Salem office. The remarks came during an appearance of Republican candidates for governor. They were hosted in Pendleton on Friday, April 3, by the Umatilla County Republican Party. They raise questions about Bethell’s knowledge of government functions as she campaigns as an authority on public administration. Bethell called out the public defenders while addressing public safety, according to remarks reported by the East Oregonian newspaper. She has made public safety a key plank in her run for governor.  “We need to get the defense attorneys off their asses so they can go do their job instead of having yoga Fridays,” she said, as quoted by the newspaper. Oregon’s legal community and state and local officials have struggled to reduce the number of defendants who have no attorneys in criminal proceedings. The shortage has led to charges being dismissed. In February, Marion County District Attorney Paige Clarkson announced that no defendant in the county was without representation. At one point earlier, 1,000 people were unrepresented by attorneys because they couldn’t afford the service and there was a shortage of indigent service. “Through strong collaboration with our partners, we were able to recently reduce our unrepresented list to zero and ensure cases continued moving forward,” Clarkson said in a statement. Bethell, asked about her yoga remark, didn’t dispute it but said that her comments were more extended than reported. “Defense attorneys are focusing more on case management for their clients, increasing the time they have a case, contributing to public safety challenges,” Bethell said in an email. She said because of inadequate strategic planning, “You get what we’ve seen for the last few years, back logs of cases, case dismissal (Multnomah/Washington counties), and higher burden on victims and victim advocates. “ “Oregonians expect solutions, not insults, from someone who aspires to be a public servant.” – Shannon Wilson of Public Defender of Marion County Bethell, traveling this week to participate in political events in eastern Oregon, didn’t respond to additional written questions or a request for an interview. She also didn’t address draft excerpts of this story sent to her to review for accuracy. Public defenders reacted with surprise, with two Marion County groups and the Oregon Public Defense Commission reporting they have had no contact with Bethell. “Belittling hardworking attorneys just drives public defenders out of the profession and makes the attorney shortage worse,” said Shannon Wilson, director of Public Defender of Marion County. “Oregonians expect solutions, not insults, from someone who aspires to be a public servant.” Olcott Thompson, executive director of the Marion County Association of Defenders, said he would be surprised if any of his colleagues are going to yoga instead of working. “If anyone does, they will be working those ‘missing’ hours on the weekend or in the evening. This is not a 9 to 5 job,” he said. Wilson also cited the workload of defenders. “Public defense attorneys have dedicated their lives to upholding the constitution and the rights of low-income people,” Wilson said. “We work day in and day out for our clients, providing actual legal representation, not just hoarding case files in a drawer.” Thompson said another Marion County commissioner, Colm Willis, has been “supportive” of work by local attorneys in addressing and ”then ending” the shortage of public defender services. Clarkson cited such collaboration in her February statement. “Through coordinated case management, special dockets, and ongoing communication regarding attorney availability, Marion County was able to significantly reduce its unrepresented caseload,” she said. Such efforts have been underway around the state. “We are proud of the work that the dedicated public defenders throughout the state are doing to protect Oregonians’ constitutional rights,” said Tiffany Woods, communications specialist for the Oregon Public Defense Commission. “We will continue to collaborate with them and our partners in the courts and district attorneys’ offices to build on the progress that has been made.” Thompson said Bethell’s remarks were discouraging. “Commissioner Bethell’s comments are not at all helpful to resolving the defense attorney problems in Oregon,” he said. “The issues are myriad and any solution is complex, and it will take time to have enough defense attorneys. Her comments are just another reason not to go into this field.” “I did state we need to review reopening closed institutions.” –Danielle Bethell, Republican candidate for governor In her Pendleton appearance, Bethell said the state needs to reopen two closed prison facilities. She didn’t name them but there have been only two closures in recent years  – Mill Creek Correctional Facility six miles southeast of downtown Salem and Shutter Creek Correctional Institution on the coast near North Bend.  Bethell confirmed her Pendleton remarks. “I did state we need to review reopening closed institutions,” she said in an email to Salem Reporter. Bethell didn’t respond to questions about what the annual costs of operating the two prisons would be or where she would get the money. Such institutions usually require several million dollars a year in state funding to function. The Oregon Department of Corrections no longer owns either site. The two minimum-security facilities closed in 2021. A private developer bought the Salem prison facility in 2022. The following year, the Division of State Lands acquired the coastal site and obtained millions in federal funding to convert it into the headquarters for the Elliott State Research Forest. The prison population in Oregon has been trending down for years, peaking at about 15,000 and now totaling 12,128, according to state data. “At this time we do not have a need for more prison beds,” said Amber Campbell, Corrections Department communications manager. Contact Editor Les Zaitz: [email protected] LOCAL NEWS DELIVERED TO YOU: Subscribe to Salem Reporter and get all the fact-based Salem news that matters to you. Fair, accurate, trusted – SUBSCRIBE The post Bethell, running for governor, draws backlash for remarks on public defenders appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less