HILLSBORO, Ore.- Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton sent this letter to Washington County’s legislative delegation regarding Governor Kate Brown’s mass commutations of juvenile teenagers convicted of Measure 11 crimes.

There appear to be 25 Washington County cases affected by these commutations. The majority of these Washington County cases (18) are violent sex crimes committed by teenage offenders against younger children. The remainder are violent crimes including manslaughter, attempted murder, and robbery. In four of these cases, a judge has already considered and denied the offender an early “second look” release due to victim and community safety considerations. And in one notable case involving the sodomy of a young child at a daycare, the offender was an adult at the time of the crime, not a juvenile. 

The decision to grant early release of convicted offenders is an extraordinary step that should only be taken after careful consideration of the individual facts and circumstances of each case.  Additionally, community safety and the rights of crime victims should be primary considerations.

“Victims of violent crime have earned the right—literally through their blood, sweat and tears—to have input and advance notice before decisions are made that will result in their convicted offenders being released, and unfortunately that has not occurred,” said DA Barton.