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SUNNY Temp: 59 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Friday, August 29, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend August 5, 2003 Judge Mark Schiveley passes a sentence Monday afternoon in one of nearly 200 cases heard in one day in Jackson County Circuit Court. The expedited schedule will continue for two more days so the court can hear cases backlogged by budget cuts. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Courts make up lost time After budget cuts stalled proceedings, preparation moves most cases quickly By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune They say the wheels of justice turn slowly. But accused criminals found themselves hurried along Monday at an unprecedented pace after their cases lingered untouched for five months in Jackson County Circuit Court. In the aftermath of this year’s statewide budget cuts, the court scheduled judges to hear approximately 200 extra criminal cases Monday. Proceedings that normally take months to years were wrapped up in a matter of minutes. Gregory Quinn stepped before Circuit Court Judge Mark Schiveley around 1:30 p.m., heard the charge of driving while suspended and decided in just a few seconds that he wanted to get the matter over with. Schiveley took 30 seconds to inform Quinn of the rights he gave up by pleading guilty and another 10 seconds to recite the sentence of probation and a fine. Court staff then whisked Quinn away to pay his fine and fees at a nearby table. Advertisement Another 400 cases like Quinn’s will be heard over the next two days. "It’s very unusual," said Bert Putney of the Southern Oregon Public Defenders office. "We simply have no choice. We have to do something so we don’t have another 600 cases in the system." Oregon’s courts in March stopped hearing misdemeanor property crimes, such as shoplifting, vandalism and writing bad checks. For still other crimes — including some felonies — the state denied accused criminals court-appointed attorneys. In the absence of legal representation, defendants couldn’t be held in jail, and their cases didn’t proceed. All such cases were postponed until this week, when the court estimated each initial appearance would last an average of 90 seconds. The plan worked in most cases like a fine-tuned assembly line. But weeks of preparation — from determining defendants’ eligibility for court-appointed attorneys to moving mountains of files — greased the wheels. About 60 percent of defendants Monday decided to plead guilty either on the spot or after speaking to legal counsel. Prosecutors, in most cases, recommended a sentence of community service and a fine, which would be appropriate under most circumstances, said Beth Heckert, chief deputy district attorney for Jackson County. But in some instances, prosecutors gave defendants a break, offering probation instead of jail time, she said. "Jail can’t really be an option because there’s no room," she said. Several defendants were sentenced to jail Monday, though an accurate count was unavailable. Some cases — about two dozen — were removed from Monday’s condensed schedule because prosecutors deemed them too complex. None of the cases heard this week involve violent crimes. While Heckert acknowledged that defendants usually don’t plead guilty immediately upon hearing charges against them, she didn’t believe justice was compromised Monday. Defense attorneys agreed that speeding up cases is only fair after the court has denied attorneys for defendants who can’t hire their own legal counsel. Victims also have waited to receive closure and restitution, Heckert said. Other counties are expediting backlogged cases in a similar fashion, Heckert said. "It’s kind of a necessary evil," she said. Although some defendants Monday said they felt rushed into taking plea agreements, others had called the public defenders’ office about this week’s special court dates, hoping to strike a good deal, said defense attorney Lindsay Fowler. "It makes you want to go out and commit a crime and get a good deal," joked defense attorney Paul Beneke after seeing Circuit Court Judge Patricia Crain sentence a defendant to two years of probation and a $250 fine. "They’re not that good," Crain said. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times