DA Wallace Discusses Staffing, Budget and Governance Issues at Yachats Town Hall

DA Jenna Wallace speaking in Yachats

Lincoln County District Attorney Jenna Wallace hosted a town hall in Yachats on Saturday, Feb. 28, outlining rising caseloads, staffing shortages, and governance concerns affecting her office.

Wallace presented updated filing statistics, noting that felony filings increased from 317 in 2024 to 459 in 2025, while misdemeanor filings rose from 1,073 to 1,314. Juvenile criminal filings nearly doubled, from 36 to 64 cases year over year. She also reported that her office reviewed 1,171 referred cases in the final six months of 2025 alone.

Despite that workload, Wallace said her office is currently operating with significant vacancies. Of nine budgeted deputy district attorney (DDA) positions, only four are presently assigned to general criminal prosecution. Several supervisory and support roles remain unfilled or were previously frozen.

As a result, Wallace said her office now has a backlog of more than 400 referred cases that have not yet been reviewed. She stated that limited staffing has required prosecutors to prioritize violent crimes and child abuse cases, while some lower-level offenses are deferred or dismissed. She also acknowledged that plea negotiations may result in reduced sentences in some cases when the office lacks the resources to take every eligible case to trial.

Wallace said she is not seeking additional funding but is asking to fill positions already approved in the county budget. She reported that certain hiring approvals were delayed and that one grant-funded prosecutor position remained vacant for 17 months, resulting in more than $260,000 being returned to the state.

During the question period, Wallace said she has requested clarification from county staff regarding the criteria used to freeze and approve positions but has not received detailed explanations. She also described changes made by Human Resources to the job description for her Administrative Chief position. According to Wallace, HR expanded the role to include duties previously assigned to a separate Executive Chief position. She said the revisions were made without her input and would effectively combine two supervisory functions into one job.

Commissioner Casey Miller, who attended the town hall, addressed broader procedural issues at the Board of Commissioners (BOC). Miller has publicly raised concerns about his ability to place items on the board’s meeting agenda for which he chaired. County Counsel Kirstin Yuille stated at the last BOC meeting on February 18, that agendas are prepared through an established internal process, and no single commissioner can "direct staff" to place an item on the agenda.

The event highlighted ongoing questions about communication, delegation of authority, and transparency within county government. Wallace emphasized that staffing decisions directly affect case review timelines, trial capacity, and community safety outcomes. Commissioner Walter Chuck was invited to attend but did not participate.

Speakers at the event stressed the importance of lawful process and clear governance structures in maintaining public trust, particularly as the county enters a new budget cycle and works to address staffing gaps in public safety roles.

The video of the Town Hall is available to watch on YouTube at https://youtu.be/xNqviyTBygw.