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A Recently Retired District Attorney Penned an Op-Ed That Torpedoed Top Prosecutors’ Delicate Relationship With Oregon Lawmakers

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A Recently Retired District Attorney Penned an Op-Ed That Torpedoed Top Prosecutors’ Delicate Relationship With Oregon Lawmakers

Oregon’s district attorneys have long been at odds with left-leaning lawmakers and criminal justice reform advocates in Salem. But nothing has inflamed hostilities like a recent newspaper op-ed by a former DA who compared property theft to sexual harassment and assault.

Recently retired Clatsop County DA Joshua Marquis wrote an op-ed for the Portland Tribune last month that compared property crimes to the sexual harassment endured by women in the state Capitol—because both are “inappropriate touching.”

Records newly obtained by WW show Marquis’ op-ed set off a flurry of emails between members of the Oregon District Attorneys Association. Despite several district attorneys privately condemning the piece, the ODAA refused to disavow Marquis’ op-ed. Other DAs defended Marquis, saying he should be allowed to say what he believes as a private citizen now that he’s retired, and blamed tensions in Salem for turning the backlash into a “with-us-or-against-us moment.” (Marquis, for his part, tells WW, “It’s a sad state of affairs when any criticism of legislators is met by ‘burn the witch.'”)

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  • ABOUT
  • GET THE FACTS
  • ISSUES
  • DA ELECTIONS
  • TAKE ACTION
  • RESOURCES
  • ABOUT
    • Who We Are
    • Contact Us
    • Why DAs Matter
  • GET THE FACTS
    • What Is a DA?
    • What Makes a DA So Powerful?
    • Who Holds DAs Accountable?
    • Who’s My DA?
    • FAQs
  • ISSUES
    • Police Accountability
    • Mandatory Minimums
  • DA ELECTIONS
    • How They Work
    • Roadblocks To Reform
    • The Governor’s Role
  • TAKE ACTION
    • Sign the Voter Pledge
    • Share Your Story
    • Request A Speaker
    • Contact Us
  • RESOURCES
    • Press Releases
    • Media Stories
    • Videos
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