News & Resources
Wrongfully Accused Men Freed After 22 Years
Everyone has watched a movie or television show where someone is charged with a crime they did not commit. In most cases, the person wrongly accused gets off the hook and the true bad guy is caught because in television the police always get the right guy. In the real world, the police do… Read More »
Supreme Court to Rule On Cell Phone Search
We live in a digital age. The time when all our private information was kept inside our home is gone. The time when our private information was kept only on a computer is gone. Today, cell-phones are like mini-computers. The amount of information that can be kept on a smart-phone is vast. The question… Read More »
Warrantless Cell Phone Search
Once a person is arrested, the police are allowed to search you for weapons or contraband without a warrant. In more recent times, there has been a question of whether the police may search a cell phone without a warrant, where it is found during the search for weapons. In Riley v. California, the… Read More »
License Suspension for Less Than an Ounce?
It is obvious that Marijuana has become a highly controversial topic. In states such as Colorado and Washington, the use of Marijuana has become legal. However, Oregon criminal law does not allow the use and or possession of marijuana except for medical purposes. Oregon law used to punish anyone caught with any amount of… Read More »
Life Incarceration for Juveniles?
How would you feel if you were fifteen years old and had no hope of living your life outside of prison bars? In 2010, Terrance Graham, a juvenile, was sentenced to life in prison without any chance of release or parole after violating his probation. In this case, Graham challenged his sentence under the… Read More »
Beware Threats of Criminal Charges!
A client came to our office worried and alarmed that he was under investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency. It turned out to be untrue and a scam, but even when it’s not, never abandon your right to remain silent. This scenario reminds us to be extremely careful if you are contacted by law… Read More »
Court-Appointed Lawyer Cuts Slash Freedoms Too
It’s no secret that court-appointed lawyers are overworked, underpaid and without the time and other resources to provide the same level of representation as private criminal defense lawyer. Court-appointed lawyers are not well-paid and their pay will continue to suffer if mega-budget cuts take shape as planned next year. The federal public defender offices… Read More »
Police Cheek Swabs for DNA
Police could wander through your private property at any time without the Fourth Amendment’s protection against unreasonable searches. Thanks to the Fourth Amendment, search of your property requires a warrant signed by a judge. But what if police officers were allowed to swab your cheeks after your arrest for DNA identification? Would you find… Read More »
Police Search Without Warrant
In the case of Terry v. Ohio in 1968, detective Martin McFadden was patrolling around his neighborhood one afternoon. After watching two men he’d never seen before, he observed these men pace back and forth in front of the same store over 24 times. When the detective saw the two men talking to each… Read More »
More Accepted to DUII Diversion Program
May 16, 2013, saw Governor Kitzhaber sign HB 2773 into law which expands the DUII Diversion Program to include defendants who in the past were excluded. Now, defendants who had completed a treatment program related to past charges of Minor in Possession of Alcohol or Possession of Less Than an Ounce will not be… Read More »
