Bill > SB178

This bill modifies Oregon law regarding criminal discovery by allowing district attorneys to charge a fee for providing discovery materials to defendants. Specifically, the bill amends two existing statutes (ORS 135.805 and 135.815) to expand the definition of "district attorney" to include municipal prosecutors and Attorney General staff, and to explicitly permit prosecutors to charge fees for preparing and providing discovery documents. The fees can cover costs such as employee time spent reviewing and compiling materials, physical discovery materials like documents and recordings, and overhead expenses like equipment wear and maintenance. The bill clarifies that "disclosure" means providing copies of documents, allowing evidence inspection, and permitting independent evidence testing, with an exception for materials depicting sexually explicit conduct involving children. The legislation maintains existing protections for personal identifiers of victims and witnesses while providing a mechanism for prosecutors to recover some of their administrative costs associated with preparing discovery materials for criminal defendants.

Justice

https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Measures/Overview/SB178