PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The person accused of killing a Portland taxi driver in his cab on Easter had been released from jail after threatening other people with a knife just days earlier, according to the Coos County District Attorney.
Moses Lopez is accused of the unprovoked stabbing of Radio Cab driver Reese McDowell Lawhon.
Six days before the taxi attack, Lopez was released from the Coos County Jail on April 3 under a recent Oregon law aimed at making the criminal justice system more equitable.
The 2021 law ordered inmates to be released for certain crimes instead of having to come up with bail.
Former Gov. Kate Brown’s representative told the Senate Judiciary Committee had shared this statement: “We live in a great moment of reckoning and consequence, this is a once in a generation opportunity. Whether someone is held in jail prior to trial or adjudication of their case should be based on whether they present a risk to the public safety or whether they will actually appear in court, not on how much money they have.”
Coos County District Attorney Paul Frasier told KOIN 6 that Lopez threatened two employees at Bi-Mart in north Bend with a knife during a dispute over a transaction. The charges included menacing and unlawful use of a weapon.
Lopez was booked and released by jail staff the same day under criteria set by the law and Oregon courts.
“It’s legislators trying to put guidelines in place where local control would probably have a better read on the situation,” said Coos County Sheriff Gabe Fabrizio. “Unfortunately when you take away the discretion and make it unambiguous to who you release we have no control of course what they do after that, and this is a good example of that.”
The DA said it’s not uncommon for someone accused of similar crimes as Lopez to be released under the recent law.
“There is a good reason and a good purpose behind senate Bill 48. Unfortunately, as with any law, you’re going to have on occasion situations where one size doesn’t fit all and you have an unfortunate incident such as this,” Frasier said. “Does that mean we need to go back and look at it again? Perhaps it does.”
He also said Lopez didn’t show up for court a week ago – three days before he’s accused of killing Lawhon.
Stay with KOIN 6 as this story develops.