Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 468 § 468.956 — without the personal approval of the district attorney of the county or
Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 468 ·
Oregon Code § 468.956·Enacted ·Last updated March 01, 2026
Statute Text
without the personal approval of the district attorney of the county or
the Attorney General of the State of Oregon.
(2) In order to
promote consistency in bringing criminal prosecutions under ORS 468.922 to
468.956, the district attorney of each county shall adopt written guidelines
for filing felony criminal charges under ORS 468.922 to 468.956. The written
guidelines, at a minimum, shall require the district attorney to consider and
apply the following factors in determining whether to file criminal charges:
(a) The
complexity and clarity of the statute or regulation violated;
(b) The extent to
which the person was or should have been aware of the requirement violated;
(c) The existence
and effectiveness of the persons program to promote compliance with
environmental regulations;
(d) The magnitude
and probability of the actual or potential harm to humans or to the
environment;
(e) The need for
public sanctions to protect human health and the environment or to deter others
from committing similar violations;
(f) The persons
history of repeated violations of environmental laws after having been given
notice of those violations;
(g) The persons
false statements, concealment of misconduct or tampering with monitoring or
pollution control equipment;
(h) The persons
cooperation with regulatory authorities, including voluntary disclosure and
prompt subsequent efforts to comply with applicable regulations and to remedy
harm caused by the violation;
(i) The
appropriate regulatory agencys current and past policy and practice regarding
the enforcement of the applicable environmental law; and
(j) The persons
good faith effort to comply with the law to the extent practicable.
(3) In order to
promote consistency and uniformity in prosecutorial policies, the Attorney
General, in consultation with the Oregon District Attorneys Association, and
after appropriate opportunity for public comment, shall adopt model guidelines
for prosecution of environmental crimes. The Attorney Generals model
guidelines shall provide for consideration and application of the factors
described in subsection (2) of this section. A district attorney may fulfill
the district attorneys responsibility under subsection (2) of this section by
adopting the Attorney Generals model guidelines.
(4) Prior to or
in conjunction with the filing of felony charges under ORS 468.922 to 468.956,
the district attorney or the Attorney General shall file a certification with
the court that the guidelines described in subsections (2) and (3) of this
section have been applied and that, in the opinion of the district attorney or
Attorney General, as the case may be, the criminal charges are being filed in
accordance with the guidelines. [1993 c.422 §19]
Note:
Legislative Counsel has
substituted ORS 468.922 to 468.956 for the words this 1993 Act in sections
19 and 20, chapter 422, Oregon Laws 1993, compiled as 468.961 and 468.963.
Other ORS references have not been substituted, pursuant to 173.160. These
sections may be determined by referring to the 1993 Comparative Section Table
located in Volume 22 of ORS.
Plain English Explanation
This Oregon statute addresses without the personal approval of the district attorney of the county or
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Key Points
01Part of Oregon statutory law
02Referenced as Oregon Code § 468.956
03Subject to legislative amendments
04Consult a licensed attorney for application to specific cases
Frequently Asked Questions
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