Oregon Statutes 137.532 – Probation without entering plea; waiver of rights; effect of violating probation agreement
(1)(a) Whenever a person is charged with a misdemeanor or a Class C felony, other than driving while under the influence of intoxicants, and has been formally accepted into a specialty court, the court, with the consent of the district attorney and the person, may defer further proceedings and place the person on probation. The terms of the probation shall be defined by a probation agreement.
Attorney's Note
Under the Oregon Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class C felony | up to 5 years | up to $125,000 |
Terms Used In Oregon Statutes 137.532
- Allegation: something that someone says happened.
- Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. Source:
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Hearsay: Statements by a witness who did not see or hear the incident in question but heard about it from someone else. Hearsay is usually not admissible as evidence in court.
- Person: includes individuals, corporations, associations, firms, partnerships, limited liability companies and joint stock companies. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
- Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
- Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
- Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
(b) A probation agreement carries the understanding that if the defendant fulfills the terms of the agreement, the criminal charges filed against the defendant will be dismissed with prejudice.
(c) The agreement must contain a waiver of the following rights of the defendant with respect to each criminal charge:
(A) The right to a speedy trial and trial by jury;
(B) The right to present evidence on the defendant’s behalf;
(C) The right to confront and cross-examine witnesses against the defendant;
(D) The right to contest evidence presented against the defendant, including the right to object to hearsay evidence; and
(E) The right to appeal from a judgment of conviction resulting from an adjudication of guilt entered under subsection (2) of this section, unless the appeal is based on an allegation that the sentence exceeds the maximum allowed by law or constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.
(d) The agreement must include a requirement that the defendant pay any restitution owed to the victim as determined by the court, and any fees for court-appointed counsel ordered by the court under ORS § 135.050.
(e) The agreement may not contain a requirement that the defendant enter a plea of guilty or no contest on any charge in the accusatory instrument.
(f) Entering into a probation agreement does not constitute an admission of guilt and is not sufficient to warrant a finding or adjudication of guilt by a court.
(g) Police reports or other documents associated with the criminal charges in a court file other than the probation agreement may not be admitted into evidence, and do not establish a factual basis for finding the defendant guilty, unless the court resumes criminal proceedings and enters an adjudication of guilt under subsection (2) of this section.
(2) Upon violation of a term or condition of the probation agreement, the court may resume the criminal proceedings and may find the defendant guilty of the offenses in the accusatory instrument in accordance with the waiver of rights in the probation agreement. The defendant may not contest the sufficiency of the evidence establishing the defendant’s guilt of the offenses in the accusatory instrument.
(3) Upon fulfillment of the terms and conditions of the probation agreement, the court shall discharge the person and dismiss the proceedings against the person. Discharge and dismissal under this section shall be without adjudication of guilt and is not a conviction for purposes of this section or for purposes of disqualifications or disabilities imposed by law upon conviction of a crime. There may be only one discharge and dismissal under this section with respect to any person.
(4) In the event that the period of probation under this section expires, but the terms and conditions of the probation agreement have not been fulfilled and no probation violation proceeding was initiated prior to the expiration of the period of probation, the court may not discharge the person and dismiss the proceedings against the person. The court shall instead issue an order requiring the person to appear and to show cause why the court should not enter an adjudication of guilt as described in subsection (2) of this section due to the failure of the person to fulfill the terms and conditions of the probation agreement prior to expiration of the period of probation. At the hearing on the order to show cause, after considering any evidence or argument from the district attorney and the person, the court may:
(a) Order a new period of probation to allow the person to fulfill the terms and conditions of the probation agreement; or
(b) Enter an adjudication of guilt as described in subsection (2) of this section.
(5) Nothing in this section is intended to restrict a person’s participation in a specialty court or conditional discharge under ORS § 475.245.
(6) As used in this section, ‘specialty court’ has the meaning given that term in ORS § 137.680. [2021 c.330 § 1]
137.532 was enacted into law by the Legislative Assembly but was not added to or made a part of ORS Chapter 137 or any series therein by legislative action. See Preface to Oregon Revised Statutes for further explanation.