OAR 137-095-0010: Background and Purpose of Guidelines for Prosecution of Environmental Crimes

The 1993 legislature adopted Senate Bill 912 (codified as ORS 468.920–468.963), which establishes criminal penalties for certain violations of environmental laws. Section 19 of Senate Bill 912, ORS 468.961, provides that the district attorney of each county shall adopt written guidelines for filing felony criminal charges under Senate Bill 912. It also requires the Attorney General to adopt model guidelines that district attorneys may adopt as their written guidelines. These model guidelines address each of the factors listed in ORS 468.961(2).