Falsely charged with a crime, no way to fight it: inside Oregon’s court crisis

An attorney shortage has left thousands trapped in criminal cases without lawyers. One wrongfully accused woman had no choice but to wait Corshelle Jenkins was charged with a crime she didn’t commit – and now, there was a warrant for her arrest. In May 2025, the 36-year-old Portland resident received a letter saying she had been arrested for theft, and after failing to appear in court, police were instructed to take her to jail. The mother of six was stunned. She had never been arrested for s...

By Sam Levin in Portland, Oregon with photographs by Amanda Lucier