Deputy District Attorney Bill Stewart named drug and property crime Prosecutor of the Year

OREGON CITY, Or. -- Property and drug crimes erode a community’s quality of life. For nearly 20 years, Clackamas County Deputy District Attorney Bill Stewart has been leading an effort to deal with these low-level offenses that deeply affect neighborhoods and businesses. 

Stewart’s efforts were acknowledged recently by the Oregon District Attorneys Association which named him Prosecutor of the Year for property and drug crimes.

Stewart (pictured on the right with Clackamas County District Attorney John Wentworth) has been Clackamas County’s Community Prosecutor for 18 years and was instrumental in developing the county’s Community Court. This specialty court provides offenders charged with so-called livability crimes such as drug offenses, drug-related property crimes or trespassing with wraparound services (drug treatment, job search assistance, housing, medical care) to remove the barriers to leading a law-abiding life. 

“Under Bill’s leadership it has grown into much more,” said Clackamas County District Attorney John Wentworth. “And it works. Our statistics show that five years after completing Community Court, 72 percent of offenders do not return to the criminal justice system.” 

The success of Community Court became the model for Clackamas County’s Impact Court, deflection/conditional discharge program.   

“So far, more than150 drug offenders in the county have taken the opportunity to meaningfully engage in drug treatment with the support of the court system,” Wentworth noted. 

“Bill plans to retire this year, and his leadership and innovation will be greatly missed,” Wentworth said.