Portland Criminal Law Blog

When people are hit with a misdemeanor offense in Oregon for the first time, depending on the reason why they were cited in the first place, their consequences could be anything from a legal fine to a more serious consequence. In some circumstances, people may be able to negotiate a settlement on the fine they have received to reduce its impact on their long-term financial standing. 

Perhaps the most important thing for people to remember is that trying to negotiate a lower fine may not always be an option, but when it is, it is critical that they are prompt in seeking to work something out with the court before it is too late. Gobankingrates.com suggests that a person's decision to be proactive and begin communicating with the authorities and the courts immediately is often the most effective way for them to work out a deal. 

Since 1989, 2,468 people have been exonerated of their crimes nationwide. This number accumulates to over 21,000 years of life lost in prison for crimes they didn’t commit. An average of nearly nine years lost per case.

Since 1989, 19 men and women were exonerated in Oregon - totaling 74 years of life lost. An average of nearly four years per case.

When people are facing charges for driving drunk in Oregon, investigators should perform a full-length investigation to determine whether or not the accused has indeed participated in the behaviors that he or she was accused of. Depending on the severity of the accident and whether or not other people were involved, the consequences a person may be facing could vary significantly. 

For one man in Bakersfield, California, his decision to drive while drunk resulted in the tragic deaths of a mother and her daughter. The original accident happened when both parties were traveling on Taft Highway. The man's car slammed into the victims' vehicle and the impact ultimately killed both of the occupants. Further investigations revealed that the man had previously faced other charges for driving drunk in the previous 15 years. There were two other DUI charges on his record, as well as one charge for being "wet reckless." In all three charges, the man had been formally convicted.

The power of a DNA database has completely changed the way that police and other law enforcement agencies are able to solve a crime. Over the past decade, testing has become more sensitive, allowing labs to test even the smallest amount of DNA, as well as older DNA that has degraded. It seems like every day the news catches onto a story where DNA helped solve an old or current case. 

But not only can help DNA catch a criminal, but it can also help exonerate ones who may have been wrongly convicted. All 50 states now allow post-conviction DNA testing in an effort to make sure that those who are innocent do not continue to serve time for a crime they did not commit. That being said, getting DNA testing post-conviction is no easy feat. Judges reluctance to allow this type of testing has law professors like Mark Rabil frustrated that the trial judges are not keeping up with recent changes and laws for DNA testing and simply strike down motions without understanding why new testing is required.