Carrie Rasmussen

Hood River County District Attorney
carrierasmussenforda.com

What qualifications and priorities do you have that make you a good choice for DA?

I have been an Oregon prosecutor for over 20 years and a Hood River County Deputy District Attorney for 15 years. During this time, I have personally handled thousands of cases dealing with child physical and sexual abuse, serious drug and property crimes, domestic violence, restraining orders, homicides and other felony cases. I have managed budgets of hundreds of thousands of dollars and funded vital programs without using taxpayer dollars.

In 2009, I recognized a need and founded the Columbia Gorge Children’s Advocacy Center (CGCAC) to make sure child victims of abuse in Hood River County have a safe place to share their stories and find support, while helping put hundreds of criminals behind bars and off our streets. The CGCAC has interviewed and medically evaluated over 750 children who were suspected victims of abuse since opening 11 years ago. I maintain my involvement with this organization today as Vice-Chair.

As Chair of the CGCAC I closely monitored the budget and signed checks for payment of bills during a period of time when the organization grew from a budget of $30,000 to over $350,000 today. When there was a budget shortfall, I helped obtain a $50,000 federal grant to fund the expanded number of children the center needed to serve. I have hired every executive director and most forensic interviewers and have conducted performance evaluations. This management experience was pro bono in addition to my work as a deputy district attorney.

I have established working relationships with local governmental agencies, legal partners and the business community. I will prioritize increased involvement of the District Attorney’s Office with other county departments, the Hood River County Commissioners, local non-profit partners and surrounding counties. These improved partnerships are needed in order to appropriately respond to our current budget crisis and to develop ways that we can work together with limited resources to achieve common goals.

One urgent need is a better approach to how we address the needs of the mentally ill who sometimes commit crimes. Regional law enforcement needs a secure facility where they can bring offenders for treatment and supervision in a setting that is not a jail. Local community mental health partners need more resources to address this expanding need as well. I will also pursue the establishment of a Mental Health Court, which will formalize and improve a practice I have used over the years that involves offering mental health diversions to offenders who should be diverted from the criminal justice system. Finally, I will prioritize the expansion of crime victims’ services

What experience do you have as a prosecutor?

I have been an Oregon prosecutor for over 20 years and a Hood River County Deputy District Attorney for 15 years. I was a deputy district attorney in Coos, Linn and Marion counties and a city prosecutor in St. Helens before I came to Hood River County in 2005 where I have worked as a deputy district attorney since then. During my time in Hood River County, I have successfully obtained some of the longest prison sentences ever for violent offenders who have seriously harmed children and other vulnerable adults.

I have personally prosecuted nearly every type of criminal case as well as dependency cases, which involve the removal of children from unsafe homes by the Department of Human Services (DHS). During the last 15 years I was a member of the Oregon Child Welfare Advisory Committee (CWAC) and Chair of the Children’s Justice Act (CJA) subcommittee for nine years. These committees advised DHS on best practices in child welfare cases and funded programs that improved the administration, prosecution and judicial handling of child abuse cases throughout the state.

Additionally, I was a member and Chair, of the Juvenile Law Executive Committee of the Oregon State Bar and I am currently a member and secretary of the Criminal Law Executive Committee of the Oregon State Bar. These committees help establish best legal practices by organizing and offering statewide continued legal education (CLE) classes to attorneys.

For 15 years I have chaired the Hood River Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), which is a local team of community partners, law enforcement and other professionals that review current and on-going cases of child abuse and neglect.

What changes, if any, would you make in the administration of the department? Do you have a plan for transparency and public accountability?

I will bring a new, more transparent approach to leadership by collaborating with individuals, agencies, and other organizations both locally and regionally to increase accountability with the public.

I will regularly attend Hood River County Commissioner and Department Head meetings. The District Attorney’s Office needs to be an active partner in the planning and efficient usage of limited county funds. I will regularly report on the caseload and performance of the District Attorney’s Office because the public needs to know about the work that is being done or the challenges the office may face. As a deputy district attorney, I have previously presented statistics regarding my own caseload to the County Commissioners and answered their questions. As District Attorney, I would increase this practice.

Given my strong relationships with other district attorneys throughout the state that I have built over the last 20 years, I will seek their assistance in obtaining grants that they have also received in order to expand much-needed services for victims. I know from experience in obtaining multiple grants over the years that grantors will sometimes seek references from others in determining whether a grantee should receive funds. I have experience in following strict compliance with grant requirements and as CJA Chair one of my responsibilities was to make sure that others who received grants also strictly followed the rules.

What is your philosophy on diversion programs such as drug and mental health treatment programs as an option for low-level offenses rather than entry into the criminal justice system?

I have regularly offered District Attorney diversions for offenders who do not have a criminal history. Because Hood River County does not have a mental health court, I have routinely crafted mental health diversions that are specifically tailored to the needs of the individual. Most diversions last 12 to 24 months and involve quarterly meetings with me, the defendant, judge, and the defense attorney in order to make sure that treatment recommendations are being followed and medications are being taken. Often family members and therapists are also involved in these meetings. I strongly believe in alternative treatment for people who commit offenses due to a mental health challenge. I also approve of the alternate disposition of cases that involve drug or alcohol addiction though DUII and drug courts or other diversions that focus on treatment.

Have you managed budgets and offices with staff before? What is your plan for the long term financial stability of the District Attorney’s Office?

I do have experience managing budgets and staff. I was Chair or Vice Chair of the CGCAC during a time when the operating budget expanded from $30,000 per year to over $350,000 today. During a period of time several years ago when the CGCAC was at risk of having a budget deficit, I helped obtain a $50,000 one-time federal grant that helped enable the CGCAC to evaluate an increased number of children during a period of expansion. Additionally, over the last 11 years I have been a check signer for the organization, which means that I have had to personally make sure that the money was appropriately spent and that the organization had the funds to cover the bill.

I have been part of a two to three-member team that has hired every executive director of the center. Additionally, I have been involved in hiring several forensic interviewers and have conducted multiple employee performance evaluations over the years.

The long-term financial stability of the office depends somewhat on the passage of the current law enforcement levy measure. Regardless of whether the levy passes, I plan to seek additional funds through grant funding and other non-taxpayer sources. There are also additional savings and efficiency improvements, which can be attained through improvements in technology usage with the goal of becoming a paperless office.

How do you envision your office interacting with ICE? Do you support using NORCOR to detain undocumented immigrants beyond the time they would have spent for state and/or local offenses in order to accommodate immigration authorities?

I will continue my practice of having a good professional working relationship with ICE. Over the years I have had the opportunity to work with ICE agents in order to obtain information for victims who have been harmed by someone in ICE custody. This includes information on how victims can have the opportunity to share their victim impact statements with immigration judges. Also, I have had several conversations with ICE agents over the years about my concerns that victims in our community who are afraid of ICE may not be coming forward due to deportation concerns. Last year I learned that a victim was threatened by her abuser and coerced into going back to Mexico, leaving her child behind, for fear that ICE was going to deport her. She was afraid to come to the courthouse and seek the services to which she was entitled. I was able to confirm with ICE agents that she was not a target and that ICE would actually help me as a prosecutor obtain a special visa for her to return to this county as a crime victim. These conversations depend upon the establishment of mutual respect for different roles and obligations, sentiments I plan to continue as District Attorney.

I do not support using NORCOR to detain undocumented immigrants beyond the time they would have spent for state and/or local offenses.