Big changes are coming to Multnomah County’s most high-profile criminal cases, but nobody knows how much strain they’ll put on the court system.
This summer, the Oregon state legislature passed a law requiring prosecutors to record and provide transcripts of grand jury testimony to defendants. For the first time in the state, those accused of felonies, and their attorneys, would get a glimpse of the extremely secretive and oft-criticized process used to indict them.
Now, in a shift that’s raising questions throughout the justice system, Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill plans to drastically cut the use of grand juries. By next year, vastly more transparent preliminary hearings will be the predominant first step in felony cases.