Criminal Prosecution Division:
An effective justice system remains one of the basic and vital functions of the local government. Prosecution occupies a central position in that system. Oregon's Constitution delegates the primary criminal law enforcement authority to the District Attorney. All felony cases that occur in Marion County can only be prosecuted by the District Attorney. In addition, most misdemeanor cases that occur in Marion County are prosecuted by the District Attorney. Oregon law mandates the District Attorney to provide victims with their constitutional and statutory rights in each criminal case. Because of these legal responsibilities, the District Attorney's Office serves the people of the many municipalities located within the county, as well as those citizens living in unincorporated areas. Four teams comprise the criminal prosecution section, each with specialization - the domestic violence team, the adult and child sexual assault team, the career property team and the drug prosecution team. Daily required functions continuously drive the prosecutors and the staff during working hours and beyond. Two criminal docket courtrooms operate 8:30 to 5:00 p.m., 5 days a week, each requiring a Deputy District Attorney. The Grand Jury functions 5 days a week, alternating days, 9:00-5:00 p.m, reviewing felony cases. Each Deputy carries a caseload often twice that of what is reasonable. Annually, they appear at hundreds of court appearances and bench and jury trials in the Marion County Courthouse and Justice Courts. They review in-custody cases, search warrants, assist law enforcement agencies, have mandated on-call responsibilities, conduct community trainings, attend numerous agency and community meetings, serve on committees and respond to victim and community needs.
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