Multnomah County court is lagging behind neighbors
(PORTLAND TRIBUNE) — Multnomah County’s court system has recovered from the worst of the pandemic, but by many metrics, the county is still struggling more than its neighbors.
Of the felony cases resolved in Multnomah County Circuit Court in 2023, more than 53% were less than six months old. Oregon aims to resolve 90% of felony cases within six months. No court met that goal in 2023, but most were closer than Multnomah County. The state averaged 62%; Clackamas County reached 59%; Washington County managed 66%.
Multnomah County court administrators don’t think that statistic accurately represents how the court is functioning.
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“It seems like things are moving. The court feels busier than we’ve been in several years; our trials are up; our call dockets for misdemeanors and felonies, which assign out matters for trial, are very busy and those trials are being sent out,” Multnomah County Trial Court Administrator Barbara Marcille said. “We’re not having cases that can’t get assigned out to a judge. So if there are lawyers reporting that the case is ready for trial, it is going to trial.”
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s office declined an interview about the county court’s statistics, but said in a statement that the office is “encouraged that we are resolving felony cases at a higher rate than the previous year — and we’re doing so with more cases.” The number of felony cases resolved and cases filed has increased each year since 2020.
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