Multnomah County DA's Office Adds Four New Prosecutors

PORTLAND, OR —Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced Monday that his office has hired four new prosecutors. The DA said the additions will help in investigating and resolving cases involving firearms, especially homicides.

"The volume of homicides this year has quickly outweighed the resources our office has to handle resolving them," said Schmidt, who said the new prosecutors will start working in December.

Schmidt added: "Our focus is on the victims. The families and loved ones of those we've lost over the last three years simply cannot wait for progress any longer. Our office, in partnership with the county, has met this need with urgency. Help is on the way."

The Multnomah County District Attorney's Office (MCDA) said the new hires were made possible thanks to temporary funding it received from the county. County leaders had announced the $1 million in additional funding at a September press conference.

The funds also are expected to help the county add two investigators to the team, and Schmidt said his office currently is working to fill those positions.

"The search to fill these positions started the moment Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury and I hung up the phone after she told me we would receive added funding," Schmidt said.

Schmidt said that adding these positions is one step in slowing a surge in community violence, which he has declared a public health crisis.

The DA said the county has emphasized an "all-hands-on-deck, 21st-century approach" to combating the violence. This includes partnering with community-based organizations on programs that include behavioral health and conflict resolution.

The county also has added two new deputies to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office. According to county leaders, the sheriff's office is focusing on issues like family protection orders and dispossession of firearms and ammunition when it's court ordered.

"A lot of things have to happen in a person's life before they pick up a gun and decide to shoot another person," said Kate Molina, an MCDA prosecutor. "These cases are difficult and frequently overlap with domestic violence, addiction and easy access to guns. The fight both upstream and downstream is critical.

"I've been to seven call-outs this year. Our escalating caseloads are also compounded by court backlogs due to the pandemic. New prosecutors mean more time can be devoted to individual cases and means more people who can be called upon to help when a life is lost."