Jonathan T. Sarre, Attorney at Law
610 SW Alder St. Suite 800
Portland, Oregon   97205

March 5, 2025

Tel (503) 295-2996
Fax (503) 295-6344
sarrelaw@outlook.com

Dear Chair Kropf, Vice-Chairs Chotzen and Wallan and Members of the Committee:

My name is Jonathan Sarre and I am the Administrator of the Portland Defense Consortium (PDC), an
organization  of  16  attorneys  working  as  solo  practitioners  or  employed  by  small  law  firms  providing
criminal defense in Multnomah County. PDC also employs support staff such as paralegals, legal assistants
and  receptionists  as  well  as  investigators.  Our  clients  are  often  men  and  women  charged  with  the  most
serious crimes in the Justice System such as murder, sexual crimes and Measure 11 offenses. The majority
of PDC attorneys work full time on our contracted cases and as an organization, we are usually at greater
than  100%  of  our  contracted  capacity  (MAC).  Our  consortia  members  are  among  the  most  experienced
attorneys in Oregon and the vast majority are murder-certified.

I am writing on behalf of Portland Defense Consortia lawyers, on my own behalf as a practitioner carrying
a caseload that includes everything from restraining order violations to First Degree Murder, and on behalf
of consortia members throughout the state to ask lawmakers to eliminate the provisions created by SB 337
prohibiting  the  Oregon  Public  Defense  Services  Commission  from  contracting  with  consortia  and  law
firms after 2029. Since the passage of SB 337, consortia lawyers like myself have worked more than our
fair share of caseloads in a system that is going through a wrenching transition (that if it did not cause the
worst  indigent  defense  crisis  in  years,  certainly  exacerbated  the  crisis)  with  no  assurance  of  any  future
beyond a vague “panel” system with hourly rates to be determined.  If we are to allow defense consortia to
“sunset” in 2029, it  is only going to make the current problems worse;  experienced attorneys will choose
to retire or concentrate on other areas of law. Attrition rates for attorneys willing to public defense work
are high enough as it is without driving veteran trial lawyers and their institutional and legal knowledge out
of this sphere of the profession.

 If the current  crisis in indigent defense shows us anything, it’s the importance of an “all hand on deck”
approach.  Private attorneys, defense consortia, criminal defense firms and public defenders employed by
both the state and not-for-profits (not to mention district attorneys, judges and other elected officials) all
need to shoulder the burden that we are presented with right now, with too many potential clients and not
enough experienced professionals to meet that demand. Qualified lawyers should be encouraged to do  this
work  and  know  that  they  have  some  security  not  just  a  two  year  reprieve.  While  we  all  want  lower
caseloads and compensation rates commensurate with our counterparts in Department of Justice and many,
if not most, DA’s offices, we would like to do our work without a sword dangling over our heads every
two  years.  On  behalf  of  myself  and  my  organization,  I  urge  you  to  preserve  the  consortia  model  by
allowing groups like ours to contract with OPDC beyond the 2029 sunset in the -1 and -2 amendments to
HB2614.  Thank you for your consideration.

   Very Truly Yours,

    Jonathan T. Sarre

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