In a surprising turn of events that has many shaking their heads, Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Katharine von Ter Stegge issued a ruling that has left the county DA and others in disbelief. A case involving Oscar Lee Burrell Jr., a 33-year-old whose reckless driving exploits were daringly documented on social media, culminated with him being found guilty of only a few misdemeanors out of a slew of charges. According to a release detailed on the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office website, DA Nathan Vasquez expressed his sharp disapproval of the judge's decisions.
"I strongly disagree with Judge Von Ter Stegge's evaluation of the facts in this case," Vasquez said. Despite Vasquez's view that Burrell's behaviors were evidently dangerous, as seen in videos of him driving with his body out the window and tearing through public parks, these were not enough to convince the judge to hold Burrell fully accountable.
Burrell's recordings showcase a pattern of egregious traffic violations from driving while hanging out of his car window on Interstate Five to performing stunts in a park near unsuspecting civilians, which the prosecution argued posed a significant risk to the community. Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Alex Garcia prosecuted the case for the State, and his assessment of the defendant was blunt. "Mr. Burrell poses a grave risk of danger to members of our community. His driving is egregious. It is scary," Garcia remarked, as per the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office.
"Mr. Burrell's conduct is 100% criminal and he will continue to do it for the 'likes'," Garcia conveyed in a stark assessment of the defendant's motivation. The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office thanked Portland Police Bureau Officer Zachary Nell for his work on the case. Burrell was sentenced to 18 months of bench probation, 80 hours of community service, participation in a victim impact panel, completion of a high-risk driver course, and a 90-day license suspension. He must also undergo a mental health evaluation and treatment, as well as a drug evaluation and treatment, if deemed necessary. No jail time was imposed.
