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| Originally set to begin his term on January 1, 2021, Governor ] appointed him to the job early, in August of 2020, to replace Rod Underhill, who retired in July.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-08-10|title=Meet Multnomah County's new District Attorney Mike Schmidt|url=https://multco.us/multnomah-county/news/meet-multnomah-countys-new-district-attorney-mike-schmidt|access-date=2020-09-12|website=Multnomah County|language=en}}</ref> | Originally set to begin his term on January 1, 2021, Governor ] appointed him to the job early, in August of 2020, to replace Rod Underhill, who retired in July.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-08-10|title=Meet Multnomah County's new District Attorney Mike Schmidt|url=https://multco.us/multnomah-county/news/meet-multnomah-countys-new-district-attorney-mike-schmidt|access-date=2020-09-12|website=Multnomah County|language=en}}</ref> | ||
| ==Personal== | |||
| Schmidt has two children and lives in Southeast Portland.<ref name="outsider" /><ref name="srpre" /> | |||
| == Career == | == Career == | ||
| === Early Career === | === Early Career === | ||
| Schmidt graduated from ] with a BA in ] in 2003. He then worked for two years in ] for ], teaching ] and coaching ] ].<ref name="srpre"/> | |||
| From 2003 to 2005, Schmidt worked as a teacher for ] in ], ] teaching ] and coaching ] ]. He then attended ], earning his ] and becoming a ] in ] for six years. In 2013, he worked as a legal counselor for the ].<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Mike Schmidt LinkedIn|url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-schmidt-28664043/|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=}}</ref> | |||
| He then attended ], graduating with his ] in 2008. He then became a ] in ] for six years, first under Mike Schrunk, who was the lead DA for 32 years.<ref name="srpre">{{Cite web |title=Meet Multnomah County DA candidate Mike Schmidt |author=Joanne Zuhl |author2=Emily Green |work=streetroots.org |date=2 May 2020 |access-date=17 September 2020 |url= https://www.streetroots.org/news/2020/05/02/meet-multnomah-county-da-candidate-mike-schmidt}}</ref><ref name="underhill_resign"/> | |||
| Schmidt left the DA's office and joined the ] in 2013, then led the ] in 2015.<ref name="underhill_resign"/><ref name="outsider">{{Cite web |title=Portland gets first outsider district attorney in Mike Schmidt, part of national wave of progressive prosecutors |author=Noelle Crombie |work=oregonlive |date=20 May 2020 |access-date=17 September 2020 |url= https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2020/05/portland-gets-first-outsider-district-attorney-in-mike-schmidt-part-of-national-wave-of-progressive-prosecutors.html}}</ref> | |||
| === District Attorney === | === District Attorney === | ||
| In 2020, Schmidt announced his plan to run for |
In 2020, Schmidt announced his plan to run for District Attorney in the May primary election. On May 19th, Schmidt beat challenger Ethan Knight, an assistant U.S. Attorney, in the nonpartisan race with 76.6% of the vote, (compared to Knight's 23.1%).<ref name="mult_update12">{{Cite web |title=Multnomah County Elections - Update 12 - Final Summary |author= |work=multco.us |date=5 June 2020 |access-date=17 September 2020 |url= https://multco.us/file/89533/download|quote=Mike Schmidt 167998 76.60% {{!}} Ethan D Knight 50567 23.06%}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Oregonian/OregonLive|first=Noelle Crombie {{!}} The|date=2020-05-20|title=Mike Schmidt wins Multnomah County district attorney race|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2020/05/mike-schmidt-wins-multnomah-county-district-attorney-race-oregon-election-results.html|access-date=2020-09-12|website=oregonlive|language=en}}</ref> Knight was endorsed by the incumbent ] and the office's union, the ]. | ||
| Schmidt represents a progressive view towards prosecutions and ], preferring alternatives to prison, against ] for juveniles, for police accountability, against mandatory sentencing, and against the ]. Since a DA has the power to decide who to prosecute, his stance can influence local and statewide cases to counter what has been described the "irrationality of our system" of biased prosecution using data-driven outcomes.<ref name="outsider" /><ref name="underhill_resign"/><ref name="merc_under"/> | |||
| Days after the election results, on June 16, 2020, Rod Underhill resigned his position immediately, to the surprise of Schmidt. Underhill noted the changing environment with police violence, ], and ]. The '']'' noted that Underhill's resignation was less than a week after the resignation of Portland Police Chief ].<ref name="merc_under"/><ref name="underhill_resign"/> | |||
| With Underhill's encouragement, Governor ] appointed Schmidt to fill the seat on July 7, 2020. The following day, the president of Multnomah County Prosecuting Attorneys Association resigned in protest.<ref name="merc_under">{{Cite web |title=Multnomah County DA Underhill is Resigning |author=Alex Zielinski |work=Portland Mercury |date=16 June 2020 |access-date=17 September 2020 |url= https://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2020/06/16/28547603/multnomah-county-da-underhill-is-resigning}}</ref><ref name="underhill_resign">{{Cite web |title=Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill To Step Down |author=Conrad Wilson |work=opb |date=16 June 2020 |access-date=17 September 2020 |url= https://www.opb.org/news/article/district-attorney-resign-rod-underhill-multnomah-county/}}</ref><ref name="decide">{{Cite web |title=New Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt Must Decide Who Faces Criminal Charges Amid Portland’s Protests |author=Tess Riski |work=Willamette Week |date=15 July 2020 |access-date=17 September 2020 |url= https://www.wweek.com/news/courts/2020/07/15/new-multnomah-county-district-attorney-mike-schmidt-must-decide-who-faces-criminal-charges-amid-portlands-protests/}}</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | ==== George Floyd protests ==== | ||
| Days into his Schmidt's job on August 7, 2020, ], president of the ] wrote an ] to Mayor/police commissioner ] and Schmidt, calling their "operational direction" insane, describing examples of violence, and telling Wheeler to "Step up and do your job". Directing comments at Schmidt, he called ] "a thinly veiled threat to indict police officers", and again telling him to "Step up and do your job".<ref name="mcus_">{{Cite web |title=RE: Riots in East Portland {{!}} Mayor Wheeler and District Attorney Schmidt: |author=Daryl Turner |work=Portland Police Association |date=7 August 2020 |access-date=17 September 2020 |url= https://mcusercontent.com/6f181d848ee8108cc7d023323/files/4d7b8ea7-abfe-4ce8-8166-cdb789877a6b/08072020_PPA_Letter_to_Mayor_Wheeler_and_DA_Schmidt.03.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0tMN-NaDHGHm-6Jt132AP8_H_FoKJPoVgLNJEKbSknmrPUY7lkIUywJGg}}</ref><ref name="wash_Libe">{{Cite web |title=Liberal prosecutors face backlash over lenient charges following civil unrest and looting |author=Katie Shepherd and |author2=Mark Guarino |work=Washington Post |date=12 August 2020 |access-date=17 September 2020 |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/08/12/chicago-portland-protester-charges/}}</ref><ref name="nati_Port">{{Cite web |title=Portland DA Declines to Prosecute Host of Riot-Related Offenses, Citing ‘Depth of Emotion’ Surrounding Racial Justice {{!}} National Review |author=Brittany Bernstein |work=National Review |date=11 August 2020 |access-date=17 September 2020 |url= https://www.nationalreview.com/news/portland-da-declines-to-prosecute-host-of-riot-related-offenses-citing-depth-of-emotion-surrounding-racial-justice/}}</ref><ref name="int" /> | |||
| Schmidt gained notoriety shortly after taking office for refusing to prosecute people who were arrested participating in the ] unless there is "deliberate property damage, theft, or threat of force." This meant dropping the majority of cases; by August 11, the office prosecuted 47 felonies out of 550 referred protest cases. 313 of 417 misdemeanors were for ], and 44 of 133 felonies were for riot, which in Oregon can be even be applied to a passive bystander in a group. He stated he was "recognizing the right to speak". A notable case where he dropped charges was against ], a leader in the ] movement who had been assaulted in a hate crime the day prior to the assailer's ].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Allison|first=Megan|date=2020-08-23|title=Portland protester's charges dropped under new district attorney's policy|url=https://katu.com/news/local/protester-voices-relief-after-charges-dropped-under-new-district-attorney-policy|access-date=2020-09-12|website=KATU}}</ref><ref name="dropmost">{{Cite web |title=District Attorney Mike Schmidt Will Drop Most Charges Against Portland Protesters |author=Tess Riski |work=Willamette Week |date=11 August 2020 |access-date=17 September 2020 |url= https://www.wweek.com/news/courts/2020/08/11/district-attorney-mike-schmidt-will-drop-the-majority-of-current-charges-again-portland-protesters/}}</ref><ref name="wash_Libe"/><ref name="nati_Port"/><ref name="oreg_Hund">{{Cite web |title=Hundreds of Portland protesters will see their criminal cases dropped as DA announces plan to ‘recognize the right to speak' |author=Maxine Bernstein |work=oregonlive |date=11 August 2020 |access-date=17 September 2020 |url= https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2020/08/hundreds-of-portland-protesters-will-see-their-criminal-cases-dropped-as-da-announces-plan-to-recognize-the-right-to-speak.html}}</ref>><ref name="int" /> | |||
| A police officer told Schmidt in a meeting that "I don’t trust anything you do or say because you’re antifa." In addition to the open letter from PPA's Turner telling Schmidt to "do your job", Turner also stated Schmidt he was "George Soros-backed", though the union denied he said that. After the reactions, an activist described the law enforcement responses as "lashing out", and another described it as ]. Schmidt noted the irony between his office dropping minor infractions to events where white supremacists and alt-right groups like ] were given a free pass for rioting, including violence against people and pointing loaded weapons.<ref name="int" /><ref name="pamp17">{{Cite web |title=Portland protest arrests top out at nearly 1,000 -- for now |last=Sparling |first=Zane |work=Portland Tribune |date=17 September 2020 |access-date=17 September 2020 |url= https://pamplinmedia.com/pt/9-news/481167-388210-portland-protest-arrests-top-out-at-nearly-1000-for-now}}</ref> | |||
| On September 4, 2020, ] leader ] and a supporter sued Schmidt for an injunction over selective prosecution based on political beliefs. Both were given a felony riot charge for inciting a riot between Patriot Prayer and leftists gathering at ] in 2019. They are represented by ] (Multnomah County GOP chair) and Derek Angus Lee; Oregon district court judge ] has the case, as of September 17, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Oregonian/OregonLive|first=Maxine Bernstein {{!}} The|date=2020-09-12|title=Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson sues Multnomah County DA Mike Schmidt in federal court|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2020/09/patriot-prayer-leader-sues-multnomah-county-da-mike-schmidt-in-federal-court.html|access-date=2020-09-12|website=oregonlive|language=en}}</ref><ref name="int">{{Cite web |title=A Progressive Prosecutor Faces Off With Portland’s Aggressive Police |author=Alice Speri |work=The Intercept |date=16 September 2020 |access-date=17 September 2020 |url= https://theintercept.com/2020/09/16/portland-protests-prosecutor-police/}}</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | ==== George Floyd protests |
||
| Schmidt gained notoriety shortly after taking office for refusing to prosecute people who were arrested participating in the ] unless there is "deliberate property damage, theft, or threat of force."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Allison|first=Megan|date=2020-08-23|title=Portland protester's charges dropped under new district attorney's policy|url=https://katu.com/news/local/protester-voices-relief-after-charges-dropped-under-new-district-attorney-policy|access-date=2020-09-12|website=KATU}}</ref> Schmidt is currently being sued by ] for selective prosecution based on political beliefs, due to his arrest and pending trial on riot charges.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Oregonian/OregonLive|first=Maxine Bernstein {{!}} The|date=2020-09-12|title=Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson sues Multnomah County DA Mike Schmidt in federal court|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2020/09/patriot-prayer-leader-sues-multnomah-county-da-mike-schmidt-in-federal-court.html|access-date=2020-09-12|website=oregonlive|language=en}}</ref> | |||
| == References == | == References == | ||
Revision as of 05:27, 18 September 2020
American attorney and prosecutor| Mike Schmidt | |
|---|---|
| Multnomah County District Attorney | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office August 10, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Rod Underhill |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Michael Schmidt |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence(s) | Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Vassar College (BA) Lewis & Clark College (JD) |
Michael Schmidt is an American attorney and prosecutor currently serving as the Multnomah County District Attorney, serving since 2020.
Originally set to begin his term on January 1, 2021, Governor Kate Brown appointed him to the job early, in August of 2020, to replace Rod Underhill, who retired in July.
Personal
Schmidt has two children and lives in Southeast Portland.
Career
Early Career
Schmidt graduated from Vassar College with a BA in Political Science in 2003. He then worked for two years in New Orleans for Teach For America, teaching social studies and coaching JV basketball.
He then attended Lewis & Clark College, graduating with his Juris Doctor in 2008. He then became a Deputy District Attorney in Multnomah County, Oregon for six years, first under Mike Schrunk, who was the lead DA for 32 years.
Schmidt left the DA's office and joined the Oregon House and Senate Judiciary Committees in 2013, then led the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission in 2015.
District Attorney
In 2020, Schmidt announced his plan to run for District Attorney in the May primary election. On May 19th, Schmidt beat challenger Ethan Knight, an assistant U.S. Attorney, in the nonpartisan race with 76.6% of the vote, (compared to Knight's 23.1%). Knight was endorsed by the incumbent Rod Underhill and the office's union, the Multnomah County Prosecuting Attorneys Association.
Schmidt represents a progressive view towards prosecutions and criminal justice reform, preferring alternatives to prison, against trial as an adult for juveniles, for police accountability, against mandatory sentencing, and against the death penalty. Since a DA has the power to decide who to prosecute, his stance can influence local and statewide cases to counter what has been described the "irrationality of our system" of biased prosecution using data-driven outcomes.
Days after the election results, on June 16, 2020, Rod Underhill resigned his position immediately, to the surprise of Schmidt. Underhill noted the changing environment with police violence, Black Lives Matter, and George Floyd protests. The Portland Mercury noted that Underhill's resignation was less than a week after the resignation of Portland Police Chief Jami Resch.
With Underhill's encouragement, Governor Kate Brown appointed Schmidt to fill the seat on July 7, 2020. The following day, the president of Multnomah County Prosecuting Attorneys Association resigned in protest.
George Floyd protests
Days into his Schmidt's job on August 7, 2020, Daryl Turner, president of the Portland Police Association wrote an open letter to Mayor/police commissioner Ted Wheeler and Schmidt, calling their "operational direction" insane, describing examples of violence, and telling Wheeler to "Step up and do your job". Directing comments at Schmidt, he called police accountability "a thinly veiled threat to indict police officers", and again telling him to "Step up and do your job".
Schmidt gained notoriety shortly after taking office for refusing to prosecute people who were arrested participating in the George Floyd protests unless there is "deliberate property damage, theft, or threat of force." This meant dropping the majority of cases; by August 11, the office prosecuted 47 felonies out of 550 referred protest cases. 313 of 417 misdemeanors were for interfering with a peace officer, and 44 of 133 felonies were for riot, which in Oregon can be even be applied to a passive bystander in a group. He stated he was "recognizing the right to speak". A notable case where he dropped charges was against Demetria Hester, a leader in the Wall of Moms movement who had been assaulted in a hate crime the day prior to the assailer's 2017 Portland train attack.>
A police officer told Schmidt in a meeting that "I don’t trust anything you do or say because you’re antifa." In addition to the open letter from PPA's Turner telling Schmidt to "do your job", Turner also stated Schmidt he was "George Soros-backed", though the union denied he said that. After the reactions, an activist described the law enforcement responses as "lashing out", and another described it as political spin. Schmidt noted the irony between his office dropping minor infractions to events where white supremacists and alt-right groups like Patriot Prayer were given a free pass for rioting, including violence against people and pointing loaded weapons.
On September 4, 2020, Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson and a supporter sued Schmidt for an injunction over selective prosecution based on political beliefs. Both were given a felony riot charge for inciting a riot between Patriot Prayer and leftists gathering at Cider Riot in 2019. They are represented by James Buchal (Multnomah County GOP chair) and Derek Angus Lee; Oregon district court judge Karin Immergut has the case, as of September 17, 2020.
References
- "Meet Multnomah County's new District Attorney Mike Schmidt". Multnomah County. 2020-08-10. Retrieved 2020-09-12.
- ^ Noelle Crombie (20 May 2020). "Portland gets first outsider district attorney in Mike Schmidt, part of national wave of progressive prosecutors". oregonlive. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- ^ Joanne Zuhl; Emily Green (2 May 2020). "Meet Multnomah County DA candidate Mike Schmidt". streetroots.org. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- ^ Conrad Wilson (16 June 2020). "Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill To Step Down". opb. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- "Multnomah County Elections - Update 12 - Final Summary". multco.us. 5 June 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
Mike Schmidt 167998 76.60% | Ethan D Knight 50567 23.06%
- Oregonian/OregonLive, Noelle Crombie | The (2020-05-20). "Mike Schmidt wins Multnomah County district attorney race". oregonlive. Retrieved 2020-09-12.
- ^ Alex Zielinski (16 June 2020). "Multnomah County DA Underhill is Resigning". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- Tess Riski (15 July 2020). "New Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt Must Decide Who Faces Criminal Charges Amid Portland's Protests". Willamette Week. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- Daryl Turner (7 August 2020). "RE: Riots in East Portland | Mayor Wheeler and District Attorney Schmidt:" (PDF). Portland Police Association. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- ^ Katie Shepherd and; Mark Guarino (12 August 2020). "Liberal prosecutors face backlash over lenient charges following civil unrest and looting". Washington Post. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- ^ Brittany Bernstein (11 August 2020). "Portland DA Declines to Prosecute Host of Riot-Related Offenses, Citing 'Depth of Emotion' Surrounding Racial Justice | National Review". National Review. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- ^ Alice Speri (16 September 2020). "A Progressive Prosecutor Faces Off With Portland's Aggressive Police". The Intercept. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- Allison, Megan (2020-08-23). "Portland protester's charges dropped under new district attorney's policy". KATU. Retrieved 2020-09-12.
- Tess Riski (11 August 2020). "District Attorney Mike Schmidt Will Drop Most Charges Against Portland Protesters". Willamette Week. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- Maxine Bernstein (11 August 2020). "Hundreds of Portland protesters will see their criminal cases dropped as DA announces plan to 'recognize the right to speak'". oregonlive. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- Sparling, Zane (17 September 2020). "Portland protest arrests top out at nearly 1,000 -- for now". Portland Tribune. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- Oregonian/OregonLive, Maxine Bernstein | The (2020-09-12). "Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson sues Multnomah County DA Mike Schmidt in federal court". oregonlive. Retrieved 2020-09-12.
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byRod Underhill | Multnomah County District Attorney 2020–present |
Incumbent |