Embattled Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt Fights Back

“From this day forward, my office will publish every case dismissed or set over as a result of this crisis weekly until it is resolved,” his office said in a statement Monday.

Mike Schmidt (Blake Benard)
By Lucas Manfield

Mike Schmidt is on the defensive. Earlier this month, Portland Monthly published a less than flattering profile of the Multnomah County district attorney—title: “Schmidt Show”—noting that his office has been making efforts to “change the narrative” as his race for reelection approaches in 2024. (The story doesn’t appear to be online yet.)

How does a progressive district attorney survive in a city where the specter of rising crime is dominating political debate? Schmidt’s response: some old-fashioned finger pointing.

He’s taking aim at public defenders, who, citing overwork, are refusing to take on some new cases.

“From this day forward, my office will publish every case dismissed or set over as a result of this crisis weekly until it is resolved,” his office said in a statement Monday.

The release listed 300 cases. It follows on the heels of last week’s data dump showing that his office is prosecuting property crime at a similar rate to his predecessor.

Another statistic included in the dump: Portland cops’ property crime clearance rates are plummeting.

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