Multnomah County DA dismisses first degree theft case

On May 18, 2018, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office dismissed an indictment alleging multiple counts of first degree theft and welfare fraud against a client represented by Celia Howes and Megan McVicar.  The charges resulted from a state investigator miscalculating the client’s income as higher than the client reported on applications for state benefits.  Our attorneys were able to uncover errors in the state’s calculation of income and found that the lead investigator had withheld exculpatory information from the prosecutor.  Celia Howes and Megan McVicar made a presentation of their findings to the prosecutor and were able to demonstrate that the client was innocent of the criminal charges.  In response, the state dismissed the indictment, stating that it was “unable to proceed at trial” and dismissal served “the ends of justice.”