Clatsop County Manager Don Bohn confirmed that the district attorney’s office has employees out on various types of leave. The Astorian file photo

An investigation into workplace conduct issues at the Clatsop County District Attorney’s office has left the office short-staffed, causing confusion and consternation for those dealing with the fallout.

Two employees were placed on indefinite leave at the end of June, tied to an ongoing investigation ordered by the county, according to people familiar with the situation and information reviewed by KMUN.

Several other employees also went on leave around the same time. Of these, some are on family and medical leave because of what people familiar with operations at the district attorney’s office have described to KMUN as a toxic work environment.

Among those on leave is a deputy district attorney. Another deputy district attorney left around that time as well to take a new job.

Clatsop County Manager Don Bohn confirmed that the district attorney’s office has employees out on various types of leave. In a statement, the county said an outside investigator has been retained to conduct an investigation into workplace conduct and that the district attorney’s office “is prioritizing workload and evaluating short term staffing options as necessary.”

The county declined to provide more information about the nature of the investigation, the allegations or details about the personnel involved.

District Attorney Ron Brown declined to comment on the situation as well say, saying he could not speak about personnel issues.

He said cases and workloads are being shifted as needed since “the court doesn’t stop.”

Brown was elected district attorney in 2018, replacing Josh Marquis, who retired. He ran unopposed and won a second four-year term in 2022.

As district attorney, Brown oversees a staff of 20 people, including — usually — seven deputy district attorneys. Though Brown is an elected official, his staff are technically county employees. When they experience workplace issues, they report them to county human relations.

All of the people on leave are staff members that others in the court’s ecosystem rely on to conduct the business of the court.

One key function the staff shortage immediately impacts is the discovery process.

The district attorney’s office is required to provide all of the discovery in a criminal case they are bringing against someone. This includes important things like police reports, notes, pictures, video and audio recordings and more.

Clatsop County relies on a consortium of private defense attorneys to represent criminal defendants who may not be able to afford their own legal counsel. Now, those attorneys say it is harder to reach the district attorney’s office about the cases they have been assigned.

Kris Kaino, a private defense attorney who is part of the consortium, and other defense attorneys told KMUN they now have to call the office numerous times before they can reach someone on the phone and, in general, communication has slowed considerably.

“The impact that this has with the local defense bar is it’s become much more difficult to get the discovery process, of getting documents from the district attorney’s office in regards to cases we’ve been assigned to — and getting them in a timely fashion — because they are short-handed,” Kaino said.

“Depending on how long this lasts, it could become a really significant problem,” he said.

The potential for staffing shortages to complicate court matters was on display at hearings earlier this month.

Over video, Judge Kirk Wintermute heard updates and finalized plea deals with a handful of clients represented by defense attorney Mary Ann Murk. While most of the appearances were routine, there were occasional references to troubles at the district attorney’s office.

When discussing the details for the sentencing of one man, Murk noted that she hadn’t been able to have a conversation with one of the deputy district attorneys because “things are a bit chaotic right now in trying to get an order to the (district attorney’s) office.”

In another case assigned to a different deputy district attorney, one of the people on leave, Murk noted that she still hadn’t received certain key materials related to the case and wasn’t ready to proceed.

Wintermute asked if the case had been reassigned yet.

Sarah Shepherd, the deputy district attorney on the call, told Murk, “Send it to me and I will look at it myself.”

Still, Lt. Kristen Hanthorn, who oversees Clatsop County Community Corrections, told KMUN they had received four new clients for supervision on July 11, “indicating that court cases are continuing to move forward and individuals are being sentenced to probation as expected.”

“That said,” she added, “the (district attorney’s) office is a key partner in our shared mission of public safety and community rehabilitation. We recognize the pressures they are facing and remain committed to supporting their efforts.”