DUII Prosecutor and program impacts

District Attorney Matt Ellis

Attending Hood River County’s Circuit Court on an “out-of-custody” docket day clearly highlights the prevalence of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (DUII) offenses in the County. In fact, DUIIs account for over 25% of all cases prosecuted by the District Attorney’s office.

Due to this high number of DUIIs in the community, Hood River County District Attorney’s Office received a grant exclusively for DUII prosecution. Deputy District Attorney Jessica Gordon began her work in this position in October 2024.

“DUIIs are among our most complex cases, sometimes even more so than minor felonies. They put a significant strain on our office,” explains Hood River County District Attorney Matt Ellis. “We are fortunate to have Jessica, as her passion for this work allows the rest of us to focus on other programs.”

DUIIs remain the most common case referral in the County, accounting for 167 of the 637 total cases in 2025, and 26 of 67 total cases in January 2026. Other driving crimes and property crimes make up the majority of the DA’s Office caseload, along with a significant number of assaults and domestic violence cases.

The DA’s Data Dashboard can be accessed on the District Attorney page of the County website.

As the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office and Hood River Police Department work to address staffing challenges, the community is benefiting from the increased removal of DUII drivers from the roads. After years of being short-staffed, both agencies have recently filled positions; however, they still have unfilled roles.

Over half of all DUII referrals come from the Hood River Police Department, which generates more referrals than the Sheriff’s Office, State Police, or Intertribal Police combined. All referral and case information can be found on the District Attorney’s Dashboard on the District Attorney page at hoodrivercounty.gov.

The grant funding for the DUII prosecutor is set to end in September 2026. The Transportation Safety Office Grant is a federal program administered by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). Its goal is to provide initial funding for a dedicated DUII prosecutor position, with the expectation that counties can gradually allocate their own funds to support this role. Achieving this goal, however, may be challenging.

The DA’s Office plans to reapply for the ODOT grant, but there is no guarantee an award will be made next year as priority is given to counties that have never received this funding.

The Circuit Court has faced significant challenges since the City of Hood River’s municipal court stopped handling criminal cases several years ago. As a result, the DA’s Office is now responsible for prosecuting misdemeanors that were previously managed by the City.

In Oregon, other small DA offices with limited resources often decline to prosecute B and C misdemeanors. These cases include minor thefts, harassments, disorderly conducts, and trespassing, which are among the top 10 of types of referrals seen in the DA’s Office. “Losing an attorney position would mean we would have to decline cases that could have been prosecuted,” Ellis added.

“I have heard from county leadership that the city should share some of the prosecution burden due to the large caseload we receive from them. Conversely, city leadership has pointed out that it is the county’s responsibility to support a county office,” Ellis stated. “Both perspectives are valid and underscore the challenges of managing tight government budgets.”

Matt Ellis has served as Hood River County’s District Attorney since January 2025. Before, he was the DA for Wasco County for four years. For general information or inquires you may reach the DA's Office by phone at 541-386-3103 or by email at hrda@hoodrivercounty.gov.