Public defender shortage is leading to hundreds of criminal cases being dismissed

By Georges Naufal, Associate Research Scientist, Public Policy Research Institute, Texas A&M University
Emily Naiser, Associate research scientist, Texas A&M University

The Oregon Supreme Court on Feb. 5, 2026, issued a ruling that will have a wide impact. More than 1,400 criminal cases had to be dismissed, the justices ruled, due to lack of adequate counsel available for defendants.

Like other states, Oregon must provide defendants with legal representation if they cannot afford attorneys on their own. But Oregon has less…

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