Page 36 - Amendment Center News Today

Courts in Oregons Multnomah County, home to Portland, have dismissed nearly 300 cases this year, including felonies, due to a shortage of public defenders

District attorneys in Oregon are once again sounding the alarm over the state's critical shortage of court-provided attorneys for low-income defendants. The lack of public defenders has strained the criminal justice system and left more than 700 people statewide without legal representation.

Courts in Oregon's Multnomah County, home to Portland, have dismissed nearly 300 cases this year, including felonies, due to a shortage of public defenders

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- District attorneys in Oregon are once again sounding the alarm over the state's critical shortage of court-provided attorneys for

Marijuana decriminalization measures passed in the Villages of Corning,, Laurelville, Rushville and Sawnee and the city of Kent. Generally, the ordinances decriminalize the possession of up to 200 grams of marijuana. Instead of making arrests or issuing citations, police are directed to confiscate the cannabis.

The new city ordinances in Denton, San Marcos, Killeen, Elgin and Harker Heights prohibit city police from issuing citations or making arrests for Class A or Class B misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

All of this is illegal according to the federal government, and creates an environment for the people of Missouri to further nullify the unconstitutional federal prohibition in practice and effect.

Under the proposed law, a person not prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm within the state could not be prohibited from doing so based solely on their status as a registered medical marijuana patient.

The state is falling short of its constitutional duty to ensure all poor defendants unable to hire a lawyer get an effective legal defense, according to an assessment the state Judicial Council requested of its work.

State officials say they’re already taking steps to address rising caseloads.