News

Cellblocks to Mountaintops is a series that shares the story of our former client, Sterling Cunio, and his remarkable journey from a 16-year-old convicted of two counts of aggravated murder in 1994 to a rehabilitated man whose intelligence, compassion, and art help so many.

Former O’Connor Weber client Jesse Johnson was exonerated after serving 25 years in prison. Jed Peterson and Ryan O’Connor reversed Jesse’s case in the Oregon Court of Appeals in 2021.

Ryan O’Connor is featured on the annual edition of the Superlawyers Magazine for his work in Watkins v. Ackley.

O’Connor Weber attorney Lindsey Burrows won two significant Oregon Supreme Court cases in the same day on October 4, 2018, a rare accomplishment for an Oregon appellate attorney.

Yesterday, Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) featured Ms. Burrows’s case because a federal appellate court struck down a similar ordinance from Boise, Idaho. (https://www.opb.org/news/article/homeless-camping-portland-boise-court-ruling-impact/ “State v. Barrett OPB article”) As Ms. Burrows explained in the article, “The 9th Circuit case isn’t binding on the Oregon Court of Appeals, but it is very persuasive, since Boise’s ordinance is so similar to Portland’s[.]”

The lawyers at O’Connor Weber won significant cases recently in post-conviction and on direct appeal of criminal convictions. This post summarizes a few recent developments.

The Oregon Supreme Court has heard eight cases from the O’Connor Weber team, Ryan, Jason, Jed, and so far this year. The cases cover a broad range of topics and raise complicated procedural and constitutional issues.

The Court agreed with Ryan O’Connor’s argument that his client’s active mental health crisis meant that he could adequately understand and waive his Miranda rights.

Attorney Lindsey Burrows works with community police-reform advocates and City Council to craft a replacement for the 48-hour rule.

The Supreme Court granted review on a case regarding police search warrant regulations.