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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 24, 2015)
8A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015 Bill: Marquis says the system is fairer here than in other states Leonhardt was convicted RI IRXU FRXQWV RI ¿UVWGHJUHH forgery and two misdemeanor Prozanski’s bill would re- counts of tampering with pub- quire all grand jury proceed- lic records for falsifying the ings to be recorded except de- indictment. In 1994, she was liberations and voting. In case disbarred. of indictment, the transcript Josh Marquis, who re- would be released to the district placed the disgraced prosecu- attorney and defense counsel. tor as Clatsop County district If there were no indictment, the DWWRUQH\ DQG LV VWLOO LQ RI¿FH transcript would not be released said he still thinks Oregon’s except when the accused was a grand jury procedures work public servant such as a police well, but the public rarely RI¿FHU hears about the system’s suc- +LJKSUR¿OH FDVHV RI SR- cesses. OLFH RI¿FHULQYROYHG VKRRW- Daily Astorian/File Photo “Those cases are usually ings in which grand juries Clatsop County District Attorney Josh Marquis speaks ones that never see the light of GHFOLQHG WR LQGLFW RI¿FHUV with the press in August 2014. day like a plane landing safe- have fueled national interest in adding transparency to the trary to the truth. It has been and media reports at the time. ly; nobody ever hears about,” Leonhardt accused Thurb- Marquis said. “You only re- grand jury process. recognized that recording tes- But well before that debate timony reduces prosecutorial er and Sgt. Bill Stowell of port on planes where the land- trying to sell drugs through an ing gear malfunctions.” was sparked, critics say, Ore- overreach and abuse.” He opposes Prozanski’s informant with the Drug En- gon had multiple examples of forcement Administration and proposal and believes it will abuse of the grand jury sys- Clatsop County tem. Proponents of Prozans- One of the most scandal- IDLOLQJWRWXUQRYHUDOOFRQ¿V- cost millions of dollars to im- plement because more staff ki’s bill have argued that elec- ous examples of prosecutori- cated contraband. While the informant never will need to be hired to record tronic recording would have al abuse came out of Clatsop WHVWL¿HGLQIURQWRIWKHJUDQG testimony. served as a deterrent to abuse County in 1993. “The proposal as written in those cases. Then-Clatsop County MXU\ /HRQKDUGW IDOVL¿HG WKH “One of the reasons is to District Attorney Julie Ann indictment to suggest that he essentially is one of the crim- inal defense bar,” Marquis impress upon the witness that Leonhardt won grand jury in- had. &KDUJHV DJDLQVW WKH RI¿- said. “What they are propos- this is on the record, this is im- dictments against two Astoria portant,” Meyer said. “It has to SROLFHRI¿FHUV2QHRIWKHRI- cer were ultimately dismissed ing is recording all grand jury be accurate because important ¿FHUV&SO7LP7KXUEHUKDG after other members of the proceedings on the theory this decisions will be made based given Leonhardt’s ex-convict Clatsop County District Attor- would make the process trans- on what you say. It also makes ER\IULHQG D WUDI¿F WLFNHW HDU- QH\¶V2I¿FHDFNQRZOHGJHGLQ parent. The problem is grand viable the threat of perjury lier that year, according to a court that the indictment was juries are inherently secret to both protect people under should someone testify con- Oregon Supreme Court ruling poorly founded. Continued from Page 1A investigation who may not be guilty and to protect child abuse and rape victims.” District attorneys oppose The Oregon Association of District Attorneys headed up opposition to the legislation last session. Prozanski said he has been meeting with as- sociation members, as well as criminal defenders, to try to address their concerns. In a memo to the Senate ju- diciary committee in March, Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill es- timated that the requirement would cost Multnomah Coun- ty about $2 million a year in UHFRUGLQJ VWDI¿QJ WUDQVFULS- tion service, staff time used to distribute transcripts and audio recordings and to re- view cases, administrative overhead and maintenance and technical support. Grand juries, made up of seven jurors, are the most common method used to indict suspects on felony charges in Oregon. Meyer, of the defense attorneys association, said Oregon’s heavy reliance on grand juries to charge people is more of a reason to record proceedings. But Marquis said the sys- tem is fairer than in other states such as California be- cause jurors are selected at random, and the prosecutor has no authority to weed out the selections. “You are stuck with the seven people pulled out of the batch,” Marquis said. “In a community of my size it may include people who have been writing letters that I need to EH WKURZQ RXW RI RI¿FH EXW that’s a good thing because it is a general slice of the com- munity.” During the proceedings, grand jurors hear only from the prosecutor and witnesses. There generally is no record of the testimony, except if ju- rors decide to take handwrit- ten notes. If the jurors agree to an indictment, the names of the witnesses also must be included on the indictment document. Marquis said even in the Leonhardt case, the system worked: She was discovered, charged, disbarred and re- PRYHGIURPRI¿FH “We hold our prosecutors politically responsible,” he said. “They get recalled if they abuse that power. These cases aren’t private; they’re tried in public.” Angry owl back in Salem “At the moment it was just really bizarre and kind of SALEM — The year is scary for a minute,” he told the ending the way it began in Sa- Statesman Journal. French sustained several lem, with an aggressive owl little cuts. He said it looks like going after people. At least two attacks have he “got a really violent hair- been reported more than a mile cut.” The January attacks on sev- north of a park where joggers were attacked in January, said eral joggers got national atten- Julie Curtis, spokeswoman for tion, most of it humorous. Inspired by a segment from the Department of State Lands. Dwight French said he was MSNBC host Rachel Mad- MRJJLQJ IURP KLV RI¿FH WR D dow, Oregon’s capital city parking garage Monday when posted “angry owl” warning he felt a bump on the back of signs in the park where the his head. He turned around owl was likely defending its DQG VDZ DQ RZO À\ LQWR WKH nest against perceived threats. trees and stare at him. As he The Statesman Journal had an crossed a street, the owl hit online naming contest, with him again and then a third “Owlcapone” getting the most votes. And, of course, there’s time. The Associated Press an Owl Attacks Facebook page. David Craig, a biology professor and animal behavior specialist at Willamette Uni- versity, said there’s no way of knowing if the owl that at- tacked French is the notorious Owlcapone establishing a new home or if it’s another barred owl. He said this is the time of year when owls and eagles are courting and establishing their territory, which makes them aggressive. They lay eggs as early as February. If an owl scratches you and it breaks the skin, Craig recommends monitoring the wound like you would a cat scratch. Danielle Peterson/Statesman-Journal John Kleeman, parks operations supervisor for Salem, installs a sign at Bush’s Pasture Park warning visitors of owl attacks in February. The year is ending the way it began in Salem, with an aggressive owl going after people. At least two attacks have been report- ed more than a mile north of a park where joggers were attacked in January, said Julie Curtis, spokeswoman for the Department of State Lands. What’s on your wish list for the Parks and Recreation Department? 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