The embattled director of the agency that administers Oregon’s public defense system held onto his position Wednesday after an extraordinary public meeting where he was accused of engaging in an escalating pattern of unprofessional conduct that jeopardizes the agency’s credibility.
A commission that has authority over the executive director of the Office of Public Defense Services considered firing Stephen Singer, placing him on paid leave or reprimanding him.
None of those actions had enough support from the nine-member commission to pass, despite pleas from chair Per Ramfjord to remove Singer from the $205,428-a-year post he has held since last December.
Ramfjord told his fellow commissioners that Singer had lost the confidence of key lawmakers and said Singer’s relationship with Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice Martha Walters had deteriorated to the point where it was irreparable.
Gov. Kate Brown had even “called Mr. Singer to encourage him to resign,” Ramfjord said.
“And it’s because she thought his resignation would be in the best interest of the state,” he said.
The Office of Defense Services has a $355.9 million state budget that pays attorneys to represent indigent defendants. Those services are provided by nonprofit law firms, like Metropolitan Public Defender in Portland and Hillsboro, and independent lawyers who take on public defense cases. The agency has confronted a series of crises that predate Singer, including an exodus of defense lawyers, allegations of sexism and complaints about low pay.
The disarray has deepened under Singer, with the number of people in need of court-appointed lawyers now numbering about 900. A Marion County judge this year took the unprecedented step of ordering Singer to assign his staff to represent impoverished clients.
Ramfjord described receiving multiple texts and emails from Singer that he described as “intemperate” and unprofessional.
He said he had unsuccessfully tried to “coach” Singer on his interpersonal skills.
In return, Ramfjord said, Singer accused him of sabotage and lying.
“This conduct is obviously, from my perspective, unacceptable,” Ramfjord said. “I am in a position where I’m no longer able to work with the executive director. I can’t communicate effectively with him. I can’t trust him.”
Walters, who serves as a non-voting member of the commission, said Singer had failed to lead the agency out of crisis.
She said Singer had apologized for verbally attacking her during one encounter. But she said: “I don’t take an apology from him to be real.”
Steven Wax, the retired federal public defender for Oregon and a commission member, called Singer’s treatment of Walters and Ramfjord “totally unacceptable” but not grave enough to lead to termination.
He said Singer has “been under siege” since taking the job.
“Steve Singer has brought a vision and energy to the indigent defense system in Oregon that was sorely needed,” Wax said.
The commission also received numerous emails of support for Singer from public defense lawyers around the state in advance of Wednesday’s meeting.
Singer defended himself, saying he was new to Oregon politics and that leading reform efforts can be unsettling.
He disputed Ramfjord’s characterization of his conversation with the governor.
“I asked her point blank if she was asking me to resign and she did not do so,” Singer said.
He said Oregon’s public defense crisis is “far, far worse than I understood or had been led to believe.”
During his tenure, Singer said he has shored up the legal talent within the agency and brokered new contracts. He said he has worked to instill a culture within the office centered around the mission of representing indigent defendants.
“It’s an incredibly complicated situation,” he said. “We have an incredibly complicated public defense system in Oregon. I have been all over the country and I have never seen a situation this complex.”
He acknowledged his approach has led to conflict.
“I am somebody who is just comfortable in conflict,” he said. “I came from rough and tumble in Chicago and Louisiana and Wyoming. Obviously Oregon has a different approach and I need to adjust to that.”
After the meeting ended Wednesday, it was unclear what’s next for the agency. Ramfjord said he was “extremely disappointed” with the commission’s lack of action, but said he did not plan to resign.
-- Noelle Crombie; ncrombie@oregonian.com; 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie