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Pretrial Release Decision (Bail and Lane County Pretrial Services in felony cases)

Your attorney can move the court for pretrial release or to reduce bail. Most Oregon counties have true judicial scrutiny of the bail amounts and release decisions. Lane County in particular has been under increased scrutiny for its failure to have an elected judge truly review the release decisions by the unelected bureaucrats at Pretrial Services, an arm of the circuit court.

The Setting of Bail Amounts in Lane County, Oregon

Bail in Lane County is set in accordance with Lane County's Uniform Security Release Schedule, which has been effective since 1998. The bail amounts are set on the basis of the accused being a low, medium or high risk, but those "risk" assessments are arbitrary and secret. Pretrial Services uses a questionnaire but as late as October 2010 won't disclose the results of the questionnaire. The court took the position in October 2010 that the results of that questionaire were somehow protected by judicial privilege. This puts the Lane County Circuit Court in the position of convening a secret tribunal regarding release decisions if the accused is not even privy to the information being relied upon. The Oregon Department of Justice has even gone so far as to file a motion to quash any efforts to subpoena those documents. Click on the hyperlinks to see the subpoena and our response to the motion to quash. We hope that by posting this information other practitioners will follow our lead and continue to attack Lane County's unique and unjust practices on behalf of citizens.

Choosing an Oregon Criminal Defense Attorney

When your liberty is in jeopardy due to a criminal case, it is important to invest in an Oregon criminal defense lawyer who will give your case the attention that it and you deserve.  You need to make an informed decision about the merits and hazards of a jury trial versus the advantages of plea negotiations. 

Eugene attorney C. Michael Arnold regularly tries cases before juries. As a former Eugene city prosecutor, he is well versed in the strategies and tactics that prevail at trial. Mr. Arnold does exclusively retained cases and does no court appointed defense work.

If you or someone you know in Eugene or throughout western or southern Oregon needs the assistance of an experienced criminal defense lawyer, call attorney Mike Arnold today at 541-338-9111 to schedule a consultation.

Arnold Law Office, LLC, represents clients along the Oregon Coast and throughout Western Oregon, including in Portland, Eugene, Springfield, Salem, Corvallis, Cottage Grove, Albany, Newport, Oregon City, Beaverton, Clackamas, Wilsonville, Tigard, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego, Coburg, Creswell, Florence, Junction City, Lowell, Veneta, Oakridge, Roseburg, Brownsville, Halsey, Harrisburg Klamath Falls, Medford, Ashland, Grants Pass, Glendale, and Bend, and in the following counties: Lane County, Multnomah County, Washington County, Clackamas County, Linn County, Douglas County, Marion County, Coos County, Lincoln County, Benton County, Deschutes County, Josephine County, Klamath County, and Jackson County.

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