In a significant nod to his nearly two decades of service, Clackamas County Deputy District Attorney Bill Stewart has been honored as Prosecutor of the Year for his work on property and drug crimes, as reported by Clackamas County News. Stewart, who has devoted 18 years to the role of Community Prosecutor, was recognized for his leading role in crafting the county's Community Court, a program designed to combat offenses that chip away at the fabric of communities.
Stewart's success with the Community Court, which addresses so-called livability crimes like drug offenses and trespassing by providing comprehensive support services—from drug treatment to job search assistance—has been significant, and the effectiveness is in the numbers, as Clackamas County District Attorney John Wentworth puts it, "Under Bill’s leadership it has grown into much more," revealing that 72 percent of offenders do not return to the criminal justice system five years after completing the program, according to statistics obtained by Clackamas County News.
The innovative approach by Stewart has rippled throughout the county's justice system, ushering in the Impact Court and a deflection/conditional discharge program which has guided more than 150 drug offenders toward meaningful engagement in drug treatment support by the court system, Wentworth shared in statements obtained by Clackamas County News.
With Stewart announcing his planned retirement this year, Wentworth lauded his impending departure saying, "Bill plans to retire this year, and his leadership and innovation will be greatly missed"; the Community Court is poised to remain one of his enduring legacies, having reshaped how the county treats drug and property crime offenses and providing a model for specialty courts nationwide, according to insights from Clackamas County News.
