Falsely charged with a crime, no way to fight it: inside Oregon’s court crisis
Corshelle Jenkins was falsely charged with theft due to a case of mistaken identity and was unable to clear her name because of a severe shortage of public defenders in Oregon. Despite never having been arrested before, she faced a warrant for her arrest and had to repeatedly return to court without legal representation. The systemic crisis has left thousands of defendants waiting months for attorneys, leading to job losses, housing instability, and family disruptions.
- ▪Corshelle Jenkins was charged with shoplifting in 2023, but she was at work at the time and had no prior arrests.
- ▪Due to a public defender shortage, Jenkins was placed on an 'unrepresented list' and had to wait without legal counsel to fight the charges.
- ▪In February 2026, the Oregon Supreme Court ordered the dismissal of over 1,400 cases where defendants waited more than 90 days for a lawyer in felony cases or 60 days in misdemeanors.
- ▪Despite case dismissals, individuals like Jenkins remain vulnerable to being recharged and arrested again for the same alleged offenses.
- ▪As of April 2026, approximately 1,180 defendants across Oregon were still waiting for public defenders due to ongoing staffing shortages.
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Corshelle Jenkins, whose life was upended after a case of mistaken identity prolonged by lack of a public defender, at home in Portland. Photograph: Amanda Lucier for the GuardianView image in fullscreenCorshelle Jenkins, whose life was upended after a case of mistaken identity prolonged by lack of a public defender, at home in Portland. Photograph: Amanda Lucier for the GuardianOregonFalsely charged with a crime, no way to fight it: inside Oregon’s court crisisAn attorney shortage has left thousands trapped in criminal cases without lawyers.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Guardian — World.
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