Oregon Appellate Ct - Sept. 16, 2015

by: Abassos, Alarson and Cmaloney • September 16, 2015 • no comments

Restitution – Victim Cannot Incur Restitution for Conduct after Criminal Conduct “Economic damages that can be awarded as restitution include reasonable expenses necessarily incurred by a victim to redress the harm caused to the victim by a defendant’s criminal conduct.” Here, the defendant was arrested for strangulation and was given a no-contact order, which he violated. The victim incurred costs for an attorney to enforce the no-contact order and to obtain a restraining order against the defendant. Because the victim’s costs were a result from conduct after the criminal event, they were not economic damages that the victim suffered as a result of the criminal conduct. Judge Egan dissents on the grounds that the court’s ruling conflicts with State v. Ramos, 267 Or App 164 (2014), which allowed restitution to an insurance company for private investigation. That case, as well as previous case law uses a “but-for” test for causation in restitution and Judge Egan argues that the Court fails to apply this test. Judge Flynn dissents as well, arguing the Court failed to apply the “but-for” causation test and that victims of domestic violence—as a matter of policy—should recover the attorney fees necessary to secure protection from contact by their abuser. State v. Gerhardt 273 Or App 592 (2015). Animal Neglect – Caring for and Exercising Power over Animals Constitutes “Control” Under Animal Neglect Pursuant to the animal neglect statutes, a defendant has “control” over an animal when that defendant has authority to guide or manage an animal or who directs or restrains the animal. Here, defendant lived in a house with a couple who owned ten bulldogs. Defendant was charged with animal neglect after the neighbors observed the defendant encouraging the dogs to fight and only broke them up by hitting the dogs with a hammer. Because he effectively lived in the home, cared for and maintained the dogs, was part of decision-making about whether the dogs should continue to live in the home, and exercised power over and restrained the dogs, the evidence sufficiently showed the defendant had “control” over the dogs. State v. Crosswhite 273 Or App 605 (2015). TPR – “Changed Circumstances” Is not a Valid Reason to Set Aside TPR Judgment A mother’s “changed circumstances” is not a valid reason to set aside a TPR judgment under ORS 419.923(1). The statute “includes but does not limit” clerical mistake, excusable neglect, and newly discovered evidence as specific reasons a court may set aside a TPR judgment. In this instance, Mother moved to set aside the TPR judgment because of her positive progress and changed circumstances, and was denied. Unsuccessful in finding a clear legislative intent as to whether any reason suffices to set aside the TPR judgment, or whether the reasons listed in the statute narrow a court’s ability to consider other reasons, the court applies the principle of ejusdem generis, which directs the court to identify a common characteristic among the listed examples. Determining (1) that the Mother’s reason to set aside the judgment should carry the common trait of the other three reasons (that the “judgment is defective in form or the result of an unfair proceeding”), and (2) Mother’s reason of “changed circumstances” did not have that trait, her TPR judgement cannot be set aside. Dept. of Human Services v. K. W. 273 Or App 611 (2015). Confession: Facts do not Support Involuntary Confession An inquiry into whether a confession is involuntary focuses on threats, promises, inducements made by the police to the defendant. Here, defendant was subjected to interrogation of substantial length in a hospital, and eventually confessed to shaking his baby and dropping the baby on the cement. The defendant’s confession was voluntary because: 1. The detectives interviewing defendant did not repeatedly state or suggest that the baby’s treatment would suffer in the absence of defendant’s confession; 2. The detectives did not appeal to the defendant’s vulnerabilities, such as family or religion; 3. The detectives repeatedly reminded the defendant of his Miranda warnings; and 4. The detectives did not induce defendant to confess by offering any sort of leniency. State v. Rodriguez-Moreno 273 Or App 627 (2015).