District Attorney Wallace Advocates For Staff

Lincoln County District Attorney Jenna Wallace recently held two Town Hall meetings, one in Newport and one in Lincoln City to explain what has been happening with her office. The Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office, she explained, is facing a mounting crisis as rising crime rates and persistent staffing shortages stretch resources thin. She pointed out at each meeting that the Town Halls were being held to provide information to the public and did not have anything to do with the recall effort of Commissioner Hall.

During the Town Hall presentations, DA Wallace broke down the criminal justice process, from initial law enforcement contact to prosecution, sentencing, and rehabilitation. While the county’s population sits at around 50,000, the DA’s office matches much larger counties in the number of criminal cases filed, due in part to surges in tourism and a corresponding increase in certain crimes.

“Every single crime in Lincoln County comes through our office. We prosecute everything from petty thefts to homicide,” said Wallace. Statistics from 2025 show the office filed over 2,100 misdemeanor cases and more than 400 felony cases, already eclipsing previous years’ totals — a reflection of both a growing caseload and the absence of municipal courts that shoulder the load elsewhere. Wallace said in other counties, municipal courts handle cases such as DUII's and misdemeanors.

Yet, Wallace stressed that staffing hasn’t kept pace with demands. With multiple vacancies across essential roles — including deputy district attorneys, detective slots, and administrative support — the office faces a backlog exceeding 390 cases. “We’re already at a point where we’ve had to let some cases go unfiled. With current trends, that number could only grow,” Wallace warned. The strain also risks more complications as staff is now trying to balance overwhelming caseloads.

Despite obstacles, the DA’s office has continued to participate in treatment courts for drug offenses, mental health, and family reunification, with graduation rates outperforming state averages and low recidivism for program graduates. Wallace explained that the DA’s annual budget sits at approximately $3 million for 23 full-time employees who are responsible for prosecution, victim advocacy, and child support enforcement.

Wallace has asked for an urgent call for action: submitting public safety exception requests to fill frozen positions, and pressing county commissioners to address the crisis. “Without an immediate exception to the current hiring freeze, we may not be able to keep up with demand. Accountability for victims and community safety hang in the balance,” She added. Wallace said she is not asking for more money but is only asking for what has been approved by the county budget.

She also told the audience that she is not looking for all of her positions to be filled, but four out of 9 key positions that need to be filled. Wallace expressed frustration at the lack of response regarding her hiring freeze exceptions. She has sent multiple emails and has not received any response from county leaders or commissioners, with the exception of Commissioner Miller. His attempts to discuss the matter have also gone unanswered. Wallace said this is why she has tried to bring up the matter during public comment at the board of commissioners meetings, as she has not been able to get on the agenda or get her questions answered.

In an interview with Oregon Coast Breaking News Commissioner Hall indicated that declining revenues have been the reason for the hiring freezes. "We've held positions in other departments as well" Hall said. She also mentioned the county is expected a final ruling on arbitration with the Deputy District Attorney's Barganing units. "We could be looking at significant salary increases." Hall said the county could be looking at declining revenues and they are worried about having to let people go if they bring on too many staff and continue with budget issues this next year. At the December 3rd County Commissioners meeting the county welcomed 14 new hires in various departments.

A video of the Newport Town Hall meeting can be viewed here