Practice Areas

Criminal Defense

If you have been charged with a crime or are under criminal investigation, you have the right to legal representation by an attorney at any and all stages of the process. The police and prosecutors are well-funded and well-trained and are under no legal or ethical obligation to consider the interests of a suspect.

DUI

In Oregon, drunk driving is called DUII – “Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants.” The state can prosecute for intoxication by: (1) intoxicating liquor, (2) controlled substances, (3) an inhalant, or (4) any combination of the above. The law allows the state to prosecute a person whose blood alcohol concentration is less than 0.08% if..

Marijuana/Cannabis

Marijuana is legal to grow, sell, and use in Oregon. However, it is still a crime to grow or transport marijuana without the proper licensing from the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC). Additionally, it is a crime for an individual to possess more than one ounce of marijuana in a public place or more than eight ounces of marijuana in a private place.

Drugs/Controlled Substances

After the passage of Measure 110, Oregon became the first state to decriminalize the personal possession of illegal drugs and other controlled substances. However, it is still a crime to deliver or manufacture illegal drugs or controlled substances. Additionally, the possession of illegal drugs or controlled substance above the currently established legal limits is still a crime.

Asset Forfeiture

In the past several decades, federal, state, and local authorities have taken an increased in interest in seizing (or forfeiting) property that is allegedly associated with criminal activities. There are many different ways that the government can attempt to forfeit property, and some laws allow the government to forfeit property even if the owner has not been convicted or even charged with a crime.

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence refers to criminal prosecutions where a family or household member is accused of causing or threatening bodily injury to another family or household member. Domestic violence includes the classic situation where a woman is injured by her partner, but the definition has been expanded to include disputes between siblings, step-parents and step-children, and domestic partners.

Measure 11

Measure 11 is a ballot initiative that was approved by Oregon voters in 1994. Measure 11 established mandatory minimum sentences for defendants convicted of certain crimes including murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, rape, and sodomy. Measure 11 also required that 15, 16, and 17 year old defendants charged with certain crimes be tried as adults.

Property Crimes

Property crimes include theft, burglary, forgery, identity theft, and criminal mischief. A single conviction for a crime involving dishonesty might disqualify an applicant from obtaining many jobs or professional licenses. Additionally, Oregon’s Repeat Property Offender laws require presumptive prison sentences for defendants convicted of multiple property crimes.

Expungements

A criminal conviction can continue to impact a person’s life long after the case has been resolved and the defendant has completed all of his or her obligations. The conviction can often result in significant collateral consequences including restrictions on employment, housing, educational financial aid, and professional licensing. Record expungement is a court-ordered process in which the legal record of an arrest or criminal conviction is erased in the eyes of the law.

Stalking & Restraining Orders

Stalking and restraining orders are civil orders entered by the court that restrict a person from having contact with an individual and specific places where that individual might be present. In these types of proceedings, the “petitioner” is requesting that the court enter a protective order against the “respondent.” Protective order proceedings begin when the petitioner serves court papers on the respondent.

DMV Hearings

There are two government entities that can restrict a person’s ability to drive within the state of Oregon: the court and the Driver and Motor Vehicle Services Division (DMV). The DMV is required to provide notice to a person before suspending or restricting a person’s license under their administrative authority. In most cases, a person has the right to request a hearing in front of an administrative law judge to challenge the DMV’s request to suspend or restrict his or her license.

Victims’ Rights

Under Oregon law, a victim is any person who has suffered direct financial, psychological, or physical harm as a result of a crime. The rights of crime victims are enshrined in Article I, sections 42 and 43 of the Oregon Constitution. Victims’ rights include the right to be present in court, the right to be heard, and the right to be informed about the proceedings in a criminal prosecution.

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