"Why doesn't our local mainstream media seem to know a darn thing about it?"

They are too busy sucking up to the status quo.

The O's motto:

"If it's news in Oregon, it's news to us."

AFI can tell ( and its been a whilke since I was a prosecutor) thats a docket entry for a case coming up in Presiding Court for its first trial setting. At "Call" cases are assigned to a trial judge for a trial to start the net judicial day.

At "Call" in Multnomah County, both sets of lawyers appear, announce whether they are each ready to go to trial, and if not, one side or the other asks for a continuance of the trial date, which is usually routinely given, unless the case is running up against the 180 day speedy trial rule in criminal cases.

Then there can only be a continuance by the defense if the defendant files a written waiver of her / his right to a trial within 180 days of initial arraignment.

The next "call" is usually four to six weeks out.

Note that the docket entry reflects that there have been no prior continuance requests by either prosecuion or defense.

Though I am decidedly not a fan of the Oreonian, or most of the rest of what passes for local media. I suggest that the reason that this was not covered is that it is not in any manner a newsworthy event.

The above information is good to know. However, I haven't heard a peep about this trial in the media.

Where are they in the process? How likely is it that the City of Portland gets some of our money back from this guy?

As a Multnomah County taxpayer, I'd like to know.

Absent a criminal conviction and an order for restitution, the Circuit Court criminal case and the Multnomah County DA have nothing to do with getting the taxpayers' money back from Vlad.

I haven't read the indictment, but just from looking at the laundry list of charges on the "Call" docket, I don't see an avenue for a criminal court to order restitution to Mult. Co, if there is a conviction.

Perhaps if the DA had charged Vlad and Emily, together, with conspiracy and with an Oregon Racketeering and Corrupt Organizations (ORICO) violation as well there might be some basis for a restitution order....but DAs are by nature conservative in charging, and I expect that the kind of investigation necessary to bring conspiracy and ORICO criminal charges just wasn't performed.

Might be interesting to see just what the City Attorney does with collecting from Emily and, if convicted, from Vlad. I have a couple of theoies about Vlad's potrential civil liability to the city, and if Vlad is convicted those could be fun, but are really outside chances, maybe less than a 20% possibilityof success.

I miss Jeff Rogers as City Attorney. He had integrity and guts and balls. And, to admit my dog in the fight, was and is a close personal friend. Which is why I understand his quitting lawyering for direct hands on people helping.

This wasn't a hearing, it was more or less a case management thing. I agree with Nonny Mouse...it's not worth reporting. My two cents says he's a two bit criminal who will plead out. Several months of jail time and a restitution order makes sense. We have kids dying in the streets from handgun violence and cops killing the mentally ill with their bare hands. In the end it's just money we're talking about here folks, it's not that much in the big picture, and we will probably never get it back anyhow.

Of course the white collar welfare crowd responsible for this VOE disaster have yet to be held accountable. In my opinion taking a chunk out of their hide would do a lot more good. Of course Sten is a (minor) deity in this town for all intents and purposes, so what are we going to do about it but bitch and moan?

what are we going to do about it but bitch and moan?

I've switched over to laughing about it all.

There's a lot of news that would be of great interest and informative to newspaper readers and radio listeners the deliberately goes unreported.
Like the fact that we have a local power company - Wasco Electric Co-operative here in The Dalles and surrounding areas that installs power lines on private property without an easement and then invokes this law called "Adverse Possession". That means if you don't sue them within 10 years the power company gets your property - even if you have a signed promise from Wasco Electric stating that they would remove them, as I did. They also sue anybody who questions anything. Nice outfit, huh?
Lars Larson, who claims to be the great protector and informer of average citizen refuses to report this. Since we know that he has certain bad actors he feels compelled to protect we are left to wonder what else is he refusing to report. Could he know of terrorist plots that could kill and injure many and yet refuse to report it?

The "call" requires the prosecutor and defense counsel to appear in the presiding court and discuss their readiness to go to trial.

If a reporter would have attended the hearing, it might have been newsworthy (depending on what was said); if they didn't cover it, it's hard to know.