Prosecutors utilize Measure 11 for no chance of reduced prison sentence for 34-year-old James Cecil

A Jacksonville man has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison on one count of second-degree assault constituting domestic violence, the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office announced. 

James Cecil, 34, was sentenced by Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Laura Cromwell and will spend 70 months in the Oregon Department of Corrections followed by three years of post-prison supervision after violently assaulting his girlfriend in May 2024, according to a news release. 

The incident from where the charges originated occurred May 2, 2024 after Jackson County sheriff’s deputies responded to a domestic call at a Jacksonville residence, with the reporting party informing dispatch that her friend, the victim, had been beaten up by Cecil. 

Law enforcement arrived on scene and contacted the victim, noting she had blood around her lips, a small cut on her forehead, bruises on her arm and a cast on her left arm. 

The victim told law enforcement that earlier in the morning, she and Cecil got into an argument over text messages and he went into a fit of rage, threw her onto the ground, pinned her to the floor and slammed her head into the ground, causing injury. 

She also discussed a prior incident on April 9, 2024, when she and Cecil got into an argument over her being on the phone too long. 

Cecil grabbed her by the hand and twisted so hard it broke bones in her hand, then he dragged her into another room, put a gun to her head and threatened to pull the trigger. 

He then wrapped a vacuum cord around her neck until she couldn’t breathe, saying “I’m going to watch the lights go out of you.” 

Cecil eventually let go before the victim lost consciousness, according to the release. 

Cecil’s prison sentence is pursuant to Measure 11, which means he will serve his sentence in its entirety without any chance of reduction. 

Measure 11 is a ballot measure passed in 1994 requiring mandatory minimum prison sentences for serious crimes such as kidnapping, rape, and murder. The measure initially applied to 16 violent criminal offenses, but it was expanded to 21 in 1997. 

At a contested sentencing hearing, the District Attorney’s Office requested Cecil be sentenced to 70 months pursuant to Measure 11 due to Cecil’s violent conduct, which was granted. 

The prosecution was handled by Senior Deputy District Attorney Micheal Cohen and Deputy District Attorney Samantha Blount.