2010 Annual Report - Lincoln County, Oregon

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. Judges Meetings Each month our four Circuit Court judges and their staff meet with the District Attorney to discuss issues, challenges, and opportunities for improvement. These meetings have likewise proven to be highly effective at solving issues, and helping our justice system improve for the 21 st Century. c. Local Public Safety Coordinating Council (LPSCC) The Lincoln County Local Public Safety Coordinating Council is charged with reviewing key planning efforts to improve public safety in Lincoln County. LPSCC plays a vital role in reviewing and approving plans for community corrections, juvenile crime reduction, and implementation of problem solving courts. Focus on Predatory Sex Crimes d. Many Others There are also many specialized teams that meet regularly and coordinate activities relating to specific cases under investigation. Examples include, but are not limited to: • The Lincoln County Major Crime Team (MCT), which consists of detectives from every law enforcement agency operating in Lincoln County, as well as prosecutors from the District Attorney’s Office. • The Lincoln County Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT), which coordinates the investigation and prosecution of cases involving child abuse and neglect. • The Lincoln County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), which coordinates the investigation and prosecution of cases involving sex crimes committed against adults. • The Lincoln County Elder Abuse MDT, which coordinates the investigation and prosecution of cases involving elder abuse and neglect. • The Domestic Violence (DV) Council, which coordinates Lincoln County’s proactive response to domestic violence, including the Lincoln County Domestic Assault Response Team (DART) and the Lincoln County Domestic Violence (DV) Court. More on DV Court can be found on page 6. The District Attorney’s Office is strongly committed to prosecuting predatory sex crimes. 2010 served as a stark reminder that predators often target the most vulnerable in our community, such as children and the elderly. Sometimes that vulnerability makes these types of cases especially challenging, but also vitally important. Two recent cases serve to make the point: 1. State v Kirk Garrison Following a 12 week trial prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Michelle Branam, the defendant was convicted of sexually abusing and raping multiple at-risk foster children placed in his care. For those crimes, he was sentenced to over 40 years in prison. 2. State v John Larsen Following a trial in January of 2011 prosecuted by Special Prosecutor Alice Vachss and Deputy District Attorney Drew Moore, the defendant was convicted of assaulting and raping meth-addicted young women. For those crimes, the defendant was sentenced to 30 years in prison. The District Attorney’s Office will continue to aggressively prosecute these types of crimes. Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office – 2010 Annual Report – page 4 of 10
• The Lincoln Interagency Narcotics Team (LINT), which focuses on mid and upper level drug dealing and manufacturing in Lincoln County. • The Lincoln County Drug and HOPE Court Team, which meets weekly to staff cases in the Lincoln County Drug and HOPE Court Programs. More on those programs can be found on pages 6 and 7. 5. Grand Jury The Lincoln County Grand Jury is a core component of our criminal justice system. The Grand Jury performs a number of critical functions, most notably hearing evidence and issuing indictments in felony cases, and authorizing subpoenas during criminal investigations. Each Grand Jury panel serves for two months, and we currently utilize two simultaneous Grand Jury panels (one meets every Tuesday, the other every Thursday). The Grand Jury is also required by law to tour and examine the operations of the Lincoln County Jail once each year. However, in January of 2009 we implemented, and the Sheriff’s Office has enthusiastically supported, the expansion of those tours to every Grand Jury panel. 6. Training for Law Enforcement Partners Laws are constantly being amended by our legislature and interpreted by our courts. This is especially true when it comes to criminal law. It is therefore vital that we keep our law enforcement partners up-to-date through regular training. Therefore, in 2009 the District Attorney’s Office developed and implemented a training program for our law enforcement partners. We select training topics that are current and relevant, and also encourage our law enforcement colleagues to suggest topics. A prosecutor or prosecutors from our office then provide a training program, followed by a question and answer period, at a shift change briefing at one of our local law enforcement agency offices. That training segment is video recorded on DVD by the Lincoln County Public Information Officer. We then duplicate the DVD and provide a copy to each law enforcement partner. 7. Problem Solving Courts In the last part of the 20 th Century, and continuing into this Century, justice systems have developed and implemented programs to remedy the revolving door of justice, reduce recidivism, and improve public safety. Some of these initiatives directly involve the participation of our courts. These are generally referred to as problem solving courts. These evidence-based court programs save taxpayer dollars, hold offenders accountable, save lives and families, and reduce recidivism. Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office – 2010 Annual Report – page 5 of 10
Page 1 and 2: Lincoln County District Attorney’
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Page 5 and 6: 1. Introduction Dear fellow Lincoln
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Page 13 and 14: 9. Crime In 2009, Oregon experience
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2010 Annual Report - Lincoln County, Oregon

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