PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Property crime, car thefts and break-ins have been rising in the Portland area, and victims are voicing their frustration saying the alleged offenders aren’t being prosecuted or being let out of jail.
But as of Thursday, a change is coming in Multnomah County.
The order, written by Chief Criminal Judge Cheryl Albrecht, allows a judge to order a defendant accused of a property crime to stay locked up until arraignment if it’s their third property-related crime.
The new order will give judges more latitude when they make decisions about whether suspects should get out of jail before their trial.
“What happens now is that instead of using a score, their recognizance officer looks at what their criminal history is, or what their pending charges are, and using that information, makes the decision and determines whether they can be held pending arraignment, or release pending arraignment,” Albrecht said.
This decision comes after a new state law was enacted to help reduce discrimination. The 2021 law, Senate Bill 48, ordered inmates to be released for certain crimes, instead of having to come up with bail.
The hope now from prosecutors is that it will keep repeat property crime offenders behind bars at least until they appear before a judge.