Representative Cases

Lindsey Burrows

Lindsey Burrows has obtained over 90 published opinions in Oregon’s appellate courts for her clients, including multiple wins in the Oregon Supreme Court.

In State v. Chitwood, 370 Or 305, P3d (Oct 20, 2022), the Oregon Supreme Court reversed a criminal conviction due to prosecutorial misconduct in closing argument. This opinion marks the first time an Oregon appellate court reversed the issue as unpreserved “plain error” (meaning that the defendant’s trial attorney did not object during the trial), making it a particularly important win for criminal defendants

In Farmer v. Premo, 363 Or 679, 427 P3d 170 (2018), the Oregon Supreme Court reversed Mr. Farmer’s murder conviction, finally ending the 20 years Mr. Farmer spend in prison for a crime he did not commit. The court agreed with Lindsey’s ineffective assistance of counsel argument, concluding that Mr. Farmer’s original trial attorney should have presented exculpatory scientific evidence that would have supported the defense theory that another person committed the shooting for which Mr. Farmer was convicted.

Other notable Oregon Supreme Court wins include Sills v. State, 370 Or 240, P3d (Oct 6, 2022), Eklof v. Persson, 369 Or 531, 508 P3d 468 (2022), Martinez v. Cain, 366 Or 136, 458 P3d 670 (2020), State v. Madden, 363 Or 703, 427 P3d 157 (2018), and State v. Simonov, 358 Or 531, 368 P3d 11 (2016)

Lindsey has also helped her clients obtain relief in post-conviction trial courts, federal First Step Act cases, and compassionate relief cases

In T.G. v. Cain (2022), a Malheur County trial court reversed a criminal conviction in a shaken-baby case on post-conviction relief. Attorneys Lindsey Burrows and Ryan O’Connor brought actual innocence and ineffective assistance of counsel claims and ultimately persuaded the court that petitioner’s trial attorney rendered ineffective assistance of counsel for failing to present the testimony of a medical expert who would have explained to the jury why, as a matter of medicine, their client did not commit the charged crimes.

In USA v. BB (2020), a federal district court in Oregon agreed with Lindsey’s argument that her client’s life sentence for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine should be reduced. The judge granted Lindsey’s motion to reduce her client’s sentence from life without the possibility of parole to time served.

In USA v SM (2021), a federal district court in Oregon granted Lindsey’s client compassionate release and released him from prison 6 years early based on evidence that the client suffered severe health issues that were being inadequately treated at his prison an Oregon appellate court has reversed a criminal conviction for prosecutorial misconduct during closing argument without an objection from trial counsel