Welcome to the fall 2021 edition of the Washington County District Attorney’s Office newsletter.
While the days may feel shorter these last several weeks, we have been even busier in the DA’s Office. We continue to operate at full and in-person capacity with appropriate safeguards, ensuring that we do our part to keep the justice system running and our community safe throughout the pandemic.
In this newsletter, you can read several stories about our work over the past several months. In October, I was pleased to be part of our sixth annual Building Bridges of Understanding community event, designed to foster trust and dialogue with diverse community groups. Also in October, we celebrated Domestic Violence Awareness Month with several efforts to raise awareness about domestic violence in our community. In this newsletter, you will find links to video messages and outreach efforts in English and Spanish about this issue. You can also read about our progress toward the goal of establishing the new “Family Peace Center,” Oregon’s first co-located domestic violence and child abuse facility.
We celebrated several items of good news this fall. The US Department of Justice awarded the Washington County DA’s Office a $300,000 competitive grant to help establish Oregon’s first “District Attorney’s Bias Crimes Multidisciplinary Team.” This team will work to increase community outreach and enhance investigation and prosecution of bias crimes. We also continued to grow our newly developed “Cribs for Kids” program, which helps prevent child fatalities by providing free cribs and other safe sleep materials for families in need. And, we celebrated graduations from our specialty and treatment court programs. You can read about recent Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court graduations.
Of course, the daily work of prosecuting crimes continues. While Washington County remains the safest large county in Oregon, we are not immune from the increase in crime throughout the metro area. In particular, we have seen an increase in property crime and domestic violence incidents. You can read in this newsletter about two recently completed homicide trials with guilty verdicts.
As we enter into the winter months and the holiday season, we will continue our mission of seeking justice and protecting our community. I wish you and your family good health and safety.
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-District Attorney Kevin Barton |
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Sixth Annual Building Bridges of Understanding in Our Communities a Success |
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DA Barton is one of several founding members of the Building Bridges of Understanding in Our Communities event series. In 2016, leaders from law enforcement and community organizations came together during a time in our country of heightened tensions within certain communities and polarizing political rhetoric. We knew then as we know now that our community is not immune to the influences of these factors.
During this year's summit, panelists focused on what progress has been made since the murder of George Floyd. Click the video above to watch the 2021 event.
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Washington County Leaders to Create State's First and Only Co-Located Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Center
For the past two years, DA Barton has led a coalition of community members and local leaders in an effort to strengthen resources for victims of family violence. Their goal, to co-locate child abuse and domestic violence services in a single site in Washington County, is one step closer to reality after the legislature awarded the effort $6.65 million to help purchase and renovate a building.
The funding, comprised of $6.25 million in Oregon lottery bond funds and $400,000 in American Rescue Act Plan Act (ARPA) funds, will be used to develop a new, state-of-the-art facility called the “Family Peace Center of Washington County.”
The Family Peace Center will become Oregon’s first and only facility to offer both child abuse and domestic violence services under one roof. Currently, those services are available, but are in separate locations, including locations outside of the county in Portland.
The Family Justice Center of Washington County (FJC), which currently serves domestic violence victims in Washington County, will continue doing so under the new name “Family Peace Center” once the new facility is up and running and will contain a number of nonprofit organizations.
One of these organizations is CARES Northwest, Oregon’s oldest and largest child advocacy center. CARES Northwest is currently located in Portland with a small, satellite location in Washington County. It hopes to be able to provide services to 100% of Washington County’s children and families at the new Family Peace Center.
Another such organization is the Domestic Violence Resource Center (DVRC). A crisis services provider with the goal of educating, supporting and empowering survivors of domestic violence and their children, DVRC currently operates in the Family Justice Center and will continue to operate in the new Family Peace Center.
Together, these organizations in collaboration with multiple other nonprofits and governmental organizations will provide trauma-informed services for victims and survivors of all forms of family violence.
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DA's Office Awarded Funding to Combat Bias Crimes |
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We are pleased to report that we have been awarded $300,000 in competitive grant funding to help us combat a rise in bias/hate crimes in Washington County!
This funding will allow us to lead a countywide effort to stem the increase of these crimes that we've seen on both a national and local level.
To learn more about this funding and how it will allow us to expand services to victims of these crimes, visit our website.
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Honoring Important Awareness Dates |
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Domestic Violence Awareness Month
This October, we joined with our law enforcement and community partners to honor Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Together, we developed this video message of support for those who have endured abuse or who are currently in an abusive situation. Our goal is to spread awareness that help is available.
Our prosecutors and victim advocates work closely with our partners in law enforcement to seek justice for victims and to protect our community. To learn more about resources available to victims and ways you can get involved, please visit our website.
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DA Barton Joins That Expert Show to Discuss Domestic Violence
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We'd like to thank Anna Canzano of "That Expert Show" for having DA Barton on to discuss Domestic Violence Awareness Month. DA Barton discussed what domestic violence is, the many forms it can take, red flags to watch for, and resources available to victims.
Click the video above to view the full discussion.
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Speaking Up Against Domestic Violence
DA Barton recently discussed the challenges of domestic violence with Veronica Vazquez of Elemento Latino. He joined other community leaders to talk about the impacts of domestic violence on the Latinx community and help that is available to those living in a dangerous situation.
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DA Barton Shares Thoughts on Responsible Criminal Justice Reform and Community Safety
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"We have a well-functioning public safety system that is striving to be even better."
In September, DA Barton submitted an opinion piece to the Hillsboro News Times in which he discussed national calls for criminal justice reform in the wake of George Floyd's murder and his own local efforts to better improve the public safety system in Washington County.
DA Barton also penned an open letter regarding his thoughts on safety during a time of rising crime.
“Safety is a fundamental right. Unlike the rights to speech, religion or property, the right to safety is not explicitly a constitutionally guaranteed right. But it is every bit as important. Without safety our society cannot function and our constitutional rights have no meaning.”
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Patricia Marie Deangelis Convicted of Criminally Negligent Homicide in Deadly Crash |
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HILLSBORO, Ore.- On October 8, 2021, a Washington County jury convicted Patricia Marie Deangelis of criminally negligent homicide. Deputy District Attorney Matt Wise prosecuted the defendant before Judge Ramón Pagán.
On November 25, 2019, the defendant was operating a commercial dump truck when she ran a red light and collided with a vehicle at the intersection of Southeast Baseline Street and South First Avenue in Hillsboro, Oregon. A passenger in the second vehicle later died as a result of her injuries.
Investigators with the Hillsboro Police Department and the Crash Analysis Reconstruction Team (CART) responded to the scene. Using video depicting the crash and other investigative methods, they determined the traffic signal at the intersection in question was red in the direction of travel for Ms. Deangelis for more than seven seconds prior to the collision. The defendant, who was previously convicted of driving with drugs or a metabolite in her system stemming from a 2007 case in Arizona, told investigators that she swerved to avoid a separate collision prior to this crash and was distracted as a result.
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the work of Hillsboro police and CART on this case. This office also sends its sympathies to the victim’s family and loved ones.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 6, 2021.
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Washington County Jury Finds Tracy Lampron Cloud Guilty of Murder |
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HILLSBORO, Ore.- On November 9, 2021, a Washington County jury found Tracy Lampron Cloud guilty of Murder in the Second Degree with a Firearm. On November 16, 2021, Judge Eric Butterfield sentenced the defendant to life in prison with a minimum of 25 years served. Senior Deputy District Attorney John Gerhard and Deputy District Attorney Melanie Musial prosecuted this case.
On September 23, 2019, Ms. Cloud shot and killed her estranged husband, Philip Cloud, at their home in Washington County, Oregon. Ms. Cloud claimed self-defense at the time, but detectives quickly grew suspicious of that claim as the investigation unfolded.
Using information gathered from surveillance cameras around the property, evidence secured from Ms. Cloud’s financial records, Philip Cloud’s cell phone, and forensic evidence developed through autopsy and evidence collected at the scene, detectives identified inconsistencies with Ms. Cloud’s accounting of events. The investigation also developed a strong financial incentive for Ms. Cloud to murder her husband.
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the work of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office on this case, including that of Detective Maribel Camas and Sergeant Robert Rookhuyzen, and the Oregon State Police Forensic Laboratory.
In addition to her prison sentence, Ms. Cloud was also ordered to destroy her firearm and submit a DNA sample to the court.
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Community Steps Up to Support Cribs for Kids Program
We would like to thank Maria Berglund, the Founder & Executive Director of In Kind Boxes, for her generous donation!
After hearing about our Cribs for Kids program, Maria reached out and offered to donate 20 of her custom boxes full of natural and organic essentials for both mother and baby. We plan to pair these with cribs that we are distributing to families in need across Washington County.
We also have more information on the Cribs for Kids program on our website.
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We’d like to congratulate Deputy District Attorneys Trinity Hatch and Mackenna Krohn for successfully passing the Oregon State Bar Exam! Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Erwin joined District Attorney Kevin Barton in conducting a swearing-in ceremony for them recently.
DDAs Hatch and Krohn both worked as law clerks in our office while they were in law school, we are fortunate they choose to begin their careers with us as well! They will make great additions to our Misdemeanor Unit.
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Adult Drug Court Celebrates Graduation |
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We’d like to congratulate Chelsa Glaser for successfully completing our Adult Drug Court program! Chelsa was arrested for theft in 2018 and met the eligibility criteria to enter the Adult Drug Court. She enrolled in 2019 and has worked hard to battle her addiction and get back on her feet.
Our office works closely with the circuit court and law enforcement partners to find alternatives to incarceration where appropriate. With more than 200 graduations so far, we are proud of the success of this program!
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Veterans Treatment Court Celebrates Another Graduation |
We are incredibly proud of Garrett Olin for successfully completing the Veterans Treatment Court program!
Mr. Olin served our country honorably in the U.S. Army. Unfortunately, he began having problems once he left the service and was arrested after an incident involving a firearm in 2020.
Due to his service and nature of the crime, Mr. Olin was given the chance to enroll in the program. He dedicated himself to seeing it through and was celebrated in a graduation ceremony recently. The Veterans Treatment Court team commends him on his continued sobriety and accomplishments during the program and wishes him continued success in his future as an honored veteran in our community.
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DA's Office Continues Community Outreach
DA Barton is dedicated to community outreach and engagement. Over the past several months, he has spoken both virtually and in person with Rotary clubs, Community Participation Organizations, and Neighborhood Advisory Committees. Our office always appreciates the chance to connect with the community we serve. Be sure to let us know if your group or organization would like to hear from us!
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What a great time!
Scammers are constantly inventing new ways to steal our money and gain access to our personal information, we must remain vigilant when it comes to protecting against these crimes.
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Follow us on Social Media! |
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