PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A judge blocked an order by Oregon Gov. Kate Brown that would have allowed dozens of juvenile convicts to get in front of a parole board for potential early release.
In the lawsuit, plaintiffs claimed that by handing the release decision to the parole board, Brown expanded the board’s authority and delegated her responsibility to others.
A circuit court judge agreed, ruling the governor cannot expand the parole board’s authority through executive action.
Kevin Mannix, the president of Common Sense for Oregon and one of the attorneys behind the lawsuit, said there were “up to 250 cases that could be considered here.”
“They would have to be going through the discussion of what happened to them, the impact of this crime on them,” he said. “And they are now going to be relieved of that.”
In the same lawsuit, the judge upheld other recent commutations Gov. Brown made.
Gov. Brown’s office told KOIN 6 News they are weighing their legal options going forward.