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Oregon Trial Division

Scales of Justice About the Trial Division

In 2023, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 337, which directed the Oregon Public Defense Commission to create a trial division consisting of public defenders employed by the state. In December of that year, we opened our first Trial Division office. Since that time, the division has expanded.

The Legislature funds the following 46 positions in our Trial Division:

  • 17 public defenders
  • Three chief deputy defenders who manage operations throughout Oregon
  • One attorney focused on expedited resolutions
  • 25 other staff members consisting of investigators, paralegals, discovery clerks, receptionists, case managers and legal secretaries

Geographically, the division is divided into three regions:

  • Northwest, which consists of our offices in Portland and Oregon City that primarily serve Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties
  • Central Valley, which consists of our Salem office and mainly serves Marion County and the surrounding areas
  • Southern, which consists of our Medford office and primarily serves Jackson, Klamath and Douglas counties


Although based in four offices, this nimble team can take cases throughout the state to respond to local needs and mitigate spikes in the number of unrepresented defendants. Below are the counties in which the Trial Division provided representation between July 1, 2025, and Jan. 31, 2026. The time period starts on July 1, 2025, because that was the beginning of the 2025-27 biennium. Shades of blue depict the counties in which the division has taken cases. Gray shows the counties in which it has not taken cases.

OTD Map Cases by County through Jan 31, 2026


As of Jan. 31, 2026, the Trial Division had taken 1,381 cases since the start of the current biennium on July 1, 2025.

The team provides representation exclusively in adult criminal cases that are financially eligible for appointed counsel. The team prioritizes time-sensitive Betschart cases and other in-custody cases, with a secondary focus on: out-of-custody clients with serious charges; those who have been on the unrepresented list for extended periods; and cases that are particularly complex due to clients’ mental health needs, language barriers and other factors. Betschart refers to a federal court ruling requiring the appointment of an attorney within seven days of an in-custody defendant’s initial appearance.


Maximum attorney caseload

Just like the attorneys with whom OPDC has capacity-based contracts, our Trial Division reports its caseload capacity using the maximum attorney caseload (MAC) standard. Under MAC, caseloads are weighted against a baseline of 300 misdemeanor cases per year. 

Between July 1, 2025, and Jan. 31, 2026, the MAC utilization rate for our Trial Division was 86.77%.

You can find more information about the types and numbers of cases taken by each of our Trial Division's regions on the Oregon Trial Division dashboard. It includes:

  • The number of cases the division has taken since it opened its first office in December 2023. It also displays the number of cases taken since the current biennium started on July 1, 2025.
  • An interactive map showing the number of cases and clients our Trial Division has been appointed to, broken down by county
  • Graphics showing the number of open and closed cases statewide and by county
  • Countywide and statewide bar graphs depicting the types of cases by clients' highest charges
  • MAC utilization rates for our division's three regions


Join our team
Are you interested in defending Oregonians who can't afford an attorney? Are you passionate about public defense? If so, send us your resume. We have an ongoing recruitment for current and future vacancies for deputy defender positions in our Trial Division. Occasionally, other positions open up in the division as well. Check out our job postings webpage.

Charged with a crime?
If you've been charged with a crime and can't afford to hire an attorney, you have the right to have the court appoint an attorney to represent you. If OPDC has been assigned to your case, that means OPDC is finding you a lawyer. You do not yet have one, but you will be contacted as soon as your attorney is appointed. More information about the process is on the General Information for People Charged with Crimes webpage.