Thread by @rachelbusygrl

If PDSC wants to overhaul the system a good first step would be to take the claims of disparate pay by gender & retaliation seriously. After all, attorney Tara Herival won her case against OPDS paying her less in June 2022:

https://twitter.com/rachelbusygrl/status/1542928761636564992

What is the status of the investigation?"Multiple women defense attys have spoken w/ ACLU of Oregon about their experiences...(1) they have faced serious situations of retaliation from OPDS, including multiple situations of retaliation by a leadership-level male employee of OPDS"

"It is extremely concerning that attorneys who are versed in the law and vigorous advocates for their clients are expressing significant levels of fear about sharing [these] concerns," said Sandy Chung, director of @ACLU_OR -- August 2021
portlandmercury.com/news/2021/08/1…
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Don't forget this report that is highly critical of OPDS management came out in March 2022 & that 5 women attys *left* OPDS within a 12 month timespan in 2020/2021:

https://twitter.com/noellecrombie/status/1504141839263170565

How many of the attorneys who have left public defense in Oregon since the pandemic have been women? How many of the 10-12 attorneys who left Metropolitan Public Defender in the past year were women?

Not a single mention during this PDSC meeting about the ongoing investigation into OPDS over treatment of women attys or whether or not a disproportionate number of attorneys leaving public defense cross the state are women. That might be an important factor to consider.

Hearing lots of praise for OPDS from PDSC members and what a great job the OPDS staff is doing - which does not track with the criticism from the March report on OPDS and feedback from attorneys at other PDSC meetings.

It sounds like even with legislative work groups its the same people who haven't been able to accomplish better funding at the legislature for the past 5-10 years. Why would we expect a better outcome when its the same people and same approach?

I am begging former public defenders to run for local and state office. Former DAs do it all the time and outnumber public defense in the #orleg There's never going to be better funding until more ppl in #orpol understand how important funding for public defense really is.

If PDSC & OPDS asked #orleg for $ for a one-time pandemic payment for all trial division attorneys & support staff who were in courts, jails & offices during the earliest days of the pandemic it would go a long way to show how valued they & their work is. Even $500 per person.

Good leaders know showing respect for workers & acknowledging hard work goes a long way towards good will & employee retention. By not asking for pandemic bonus $ for trial division shows OPDS does not really care & only worried now because defendants w/o attys means bad optics.

As an attorney with far more experience than I put it:

"Oregon has treated its public defenders like second class attorneys forever and now they send out a call saying come to us in our time of need. It shouldn’t be confusing why no one is answering."

#orleg #orpol

Almost forgot - the Oregon PDSC - which oversees OPDS - is made up of 7 men & 3 women. So more than two-thirds of the commission overseeing Oregon public defense services is men. One person of color. Where is the diversity?