Multnomah County Agrees to Help Empty-Handed Victims

Thanks to the efforts of one victim and OCVLC pro bono attorney Olufunmike "Fumi" Owoso, Multnomah County has set aside its 1992 order that resulted in victims whose defendants had appealed their convictions not getting any restitution payments until the appeals were concluded.The county set aside the order, which the OCVLC maintained violated victims'
statutory right to restitution and constitutional right to "prompt restitution," shortly after the OCVLC called it to the county's attention on Sept. 30, 2011.

 The victim in this case complained to the county and to the OCVLC because he has not yet received a penny of the $52,901.15 in restitution the defendant, Randy Ray Richardson, was ordered to pay him in 2009. The victim incurred the costs in getting his ailing and elderly aunt's house back after Richardson and another defendant defrauded her into signing it away.

Richardson, who is a former Multnomah County deputy district attorney, also was sentenced to 30 months in prison. His appeal of his convictions remains pending. Richardson, who subsequently was disbarred, lives in Portland is under post-prison supervision.

 The OCVLC thanks the victim for his persistence, Fumi for her work and Multnomah County for taking immediate action to revoke the policy.