§ 135.959 Authority to contract with dispute resolution programs

This rule lets certain government agencies set up mediation programs for criminal cases. Police departments, city attorneys, district attorneys, county juvenile departments, and courts can all hire outside dispute resolution programs to handle mediation services. This mediation happens under two other laws, ORS 135.951 and 135.953, which deal with resolving certain criminal matters outside of a full trial.

The rule also sets a quality control requirement. Any dispute resolution program that gets hired must meet standards set by the Dean of the University of Oregon School of Law. This means the mediation programs cannot just be any random service. They have to follow specific guidelines to make sure the mediation process is fair and reliable.

For someone involved in a criminal case, this rule matters because it explains where mediation services come from. If your case involves mediation instead of going straight to trial, the program handling that mediation was likely brought in through a contract like the ones described here, and it had to meet state standards before being allowed to help resolve cases.