Host Karen James speaks with Karen Newirth, Special Counsel with FA:IR Law Project, Oregon Justice Resource Center. Senate Bill 819, passed by the Oregon legislature in 2021, allows for resentencing of a person who was sentenced to any felony other than aggravated murder when the district attorney for the county where the person was sentenced agrees, and the sentencing court finds, that the sentence no longer advances the interests of justice. Karen Newirth explains this new law, who is eligible and how to apply for relief.
Launched in October 2021, the FA:IR Law Project works to address systemic failures and create a more fair, just, and humane criminal legal system. Specifically, the FA:IR Law Project seeks to: reverse, vacate, and prevent wrongful and unjust convictions and sentences and mitigate and prevent excessive sentences. The FA:IR Law Project is a product of our decade of experience representing people impacted by failures and injustices at every stage of Oregon's criminal legal system. Working together with our direct representation projects, including the Oregon Innocence Project, our work will encompass broad challenges based on, among other things, changes in science, laws, and community standards; best practices; and evidence of misconduct. This will be accomplished through individual casework, mass case reviews, data analysis, policy change, and community education.
Policies by County: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/524b5617e4b0b106ced5f067/t/625479ba707f9b23900e955c/1649703355319/Senate+Bill+819+UPDATED%282%29.pdf
- KBOO