The two candidates for Jackson County district attorney say they would be a different kind of prosecutor from Beth Heckert, who is retiring after serving in elected office for almost a dozen years. 

Patrick Green, the chief deputy district attorney with the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office, and Alyssa Bartholomew, a public defender representing defendants in Jackson County, are running in the May 21 primary to become the county’s top prosecutor. 

The winner will succeed Heckert once she leaves office on Jan. 6, 2025. 

Bartholomew and Green — who have defined their careers on opposite sides of the courtroom — wrote about their qualifications for office in written responses to question from the Rogue Valley Times.

Patrick Green

Green, 34, has been prosecuting cases locally since July 2016, working his way up the ranks before becoming the most senior prosecutor in September 2023. Heckert has endorsed Green to be her successor. 

One way Green would distinguish himself from Heckert, he said, would be to prosecute low-level cases and not just felony ones.

“In doing so, I will set the tone and expectation for prosecutors and stay well connected to the community so I’m able to effectively recognize and respond to what is happening on the ground,” Green wrote. “In short, I will lead by active example.”

Green acknowledged the DA’s office has experienced high turnover, and although he worked to fill positions last year, he would like to “develop a structure and culture” to retain prosecutors for as long as possible.

Green said he plans to add a prosecutor position, as well as appoint a deputy district attorney to act part-time as a public information officer to increase his office’s communication with the community.

Green’s priorities as DA would include keeping drugs out of the community, making homes and businesses safe and increasing accountability for domestic violence offenders.

He said drug users and dealers must be held accountable to “send the message to other drug dealers that Jackson County is not open for business.”

Green said he will recommend prison sentences for repeat property offenders and continue to support and work to expand Jackson County’s court-ordered treatment programs that prioritize treatment over incarceration for low-risk, deserving individuals.

Green said he would implement changes to how domestic violence offenders are prosecuted, including allowing prosecutors to pursue charges where the victim’s cooperation is not needed and hiring an investigator who would prioritize the investigation. In addition, Green said he would work with law enforcement to implement a countywide task force to investigate domestic violence crimes to “build stronger cases and hold more of these offenders accountable.”

Green said that, unlike Bartholomew, he has spent his entire career as a prosecutor.

“I’m the only candidate in this race who is a prosecutor, the only candidate who has ever prosecuted a case in Oregon, and the only candidate who has dedicated their career to being a prosecutor in this county,” Green said. “Our community cannot afford to have a district attorney with any less dedication or one who is learning on the job.”

Green noted other counties in Oregon have elected defense attorneys to be district attorneys, but he believes it has “led to instability” and become “an unmitigated disaster” in those communities.

Green said he can “hit the ground running” on his first day since he is already employed by the district attorney’s office.

“My opponent … would need to spend valuable time establishing trust within our office — not to mention taxpayer-funded time to learn the job,” he said.

Green lived in California before moving to Southern Oregon, where he met his fiancee, Isabel, who is a Medford police officer.

He grew up in San Diego and attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 2011. He attended Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, where he earned his juris doctor in 2015. 

Alyssa Bartholomew

Bartholomew said Heckert “always did her best” to seek justice in each case her office prosecuted.

But Bartholomew believes that Heckert’s retirement announcement coincided with a high increase in senior attorney and staff turnover, hindering the ability of the DA’s office to handle the county’s caseload. 

“I am dedicated to hiring and retaining excellent attorneys so that Jackson County no longer has to dismiss cases that are currently deemed too ‘low-level’ to be prosecuted,” Bartholomew said. “Victims of crime do not have the luxury of dismissing what happened to them, and they are robbed of their access to justice when cases are dismissed.”

Bartholomew’s priorities if elected include hiring experienced prosecutors and working with law enforcement to “clean up” local streets, parks and neighborhoods.

She said the county can expect to see an increase in the number of arrests of drug dealers and users once House Bill 4002, the Measure 110 reform legislation, goes into effect Sept. 1.

“Restoring health and safety in our community after the failed experiment of Measure 110 is going to take time and diligent effort on behalf of not just law enforcement but District Attorneys, judges, and mental health providers,” Bartholomew wrote. “We must focus on rebuilding the systems that were unraveled in 2020 and that will require increased staff in the District Attorney’s Office.”

Bartholomew said she would implement a pilot program called Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion as a way to avoid further overcrowding of the Jackson County Jail. LEAD allows people with mental health issues facing potential criminal charges to enter treatment for 60 days in exchange for not being prosecuted, according to the state of Oregon’s website.

“My experience working with treatment agencies gives me insight into how best to implement appropriate programs to ensure accountability and rehabilitation,” Bartholomew said. “As district attorney, I will emphasize the use of drug and mental health courts to address one of the root causes of crime in our community, improve access to treatment and help alleviate chronic homelessness.”

Bartholomew contrasted her experience with Green’s, saying that while his career has lasted almost a decade, hers spans over two decades. She prosecuted cases in Cowlitz County, Washington, and represented Jackson County as senior assistant county counsel before becoming a defense attorney with Southern Oregon Public Defenders. She has practiced law in federal, circuit and appellate courts.

Bartholomew said she knows how to manage budgets and navigate administrative issues, giving her a “unique understanding” of how prosecutors and others in the local legal community work together.

She said the number of endorsements she has received demonstrates how she can bring people together and lead. 

And she noted her family — a husband who is a local attorney and three children — and her community involvement with various organizations.

“This is my home, and I look forward to the opportunity to truly address crime and make our community safer by serving the citizens of Jackson County as District Attorney,” she said.

Bartholomew earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and English from Arizona State University before graduating from Gonzaga School of Law in Spokane, Washington.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct Alissa Bartholomew’s title when she worked for Jackson County.

Ballots for the May 21 primary will be mailed to Southern Oregon voters May 3.