On this day, August 22, 2002, President George W. Bush proposed to end the government's "hands-off" policy in national forests and ease logging restrictions in fire-prone areas.
Also on this day, August 22, 2014, the State of Oregon filed a $200 million suit against Oracle Corp. and several executives over the company's role in creating the troubled website for the state's online health insurance exchange.
Also on this day, August 22, 2020, demonstrators faced off in Portland with the two sides -- one aligned with a "Back the Blue" rally and the other a Black Lives Matter counter-demonstration -- reportedly largely ignoring police warnings. Ultimately, Department of Homeland Security officers deemed the gatherings unlawful and moved through the plaza, forcing the crowd to disperse.
Leave a glancing blow for the DA on the way out.
The State Police have announced that they are leaving Portland and apparently re-deploying to counties with friendlier -- or less-friendly, depending on your point of view -- District Attorneys than the one in Multnomah County. Oregon State Police Captain Timothy R. Fox issued this statement:
The Oregon State Police is continually reassessing our resources and the needs of our partner agencies and at this time we are inclined to move those resources back to counties where prosecution of criminal conduct is still a priority.
Last night was our last night in Portland.
This decision was based on the fact that our two week commitment ended last night... Troopers are returning to the communities that they are assigned to serve and protect.
Readers will remember that Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt’s Office
announced a new policy in which he said that “[w]e will presumptively decline to charge cases where the most serious offenses are city ordinance violations and crimes that do not involve deliberate property damage, theft, or the use or threat of force against another person. Crimes in this category include:
- Interference with a police officer, ORS 162.247
- Disorderly conduct, ORS 166.025
- Criminal trespass, ORS 164.245 and 164.255
- Escape III, ORS 162.145
- Harassment, when classified as a Class B misdemeanor, ORS 166.065
- Riot, ORS 166.015 – Unless accompanied by a charge outside of this listâ€
In a tweet, Governor Brown seemed to indicate that it was planned all along.
The level of violence in the core downtown Portland area has fluctuated over the two plus months of nightly rioting, and it remains to be seen if this move impacts the intensity of the violent activity.
--Staff Reports| Post Date: 2020-08-13 21:44:00 | Last Update: 2020-08-13 22:23:00 |
