Washington County's drug court has not accepted a single new participant since May, leaving residents facing addiction-related charges without access to a treatment alternative that has diverted hundreds from prison over two decades.

The Adult Recovery Court, known as ARC, serves Washington County residents including those in Bethany, Cedar Mill, Oak Hills and West Haven-Sylvan. The program went on hiatus after District Attorney Kevin Barton's office pulled out following a sentencing dispute. Presiding Judge Rebecca Guptill warned the freeze is making the community less safe.

"Every day that this moratorium continues actually makes our community less safe in the long term," Guptill told OPB on Tuesday, Aug. 11.

What triggered the standoff

The conflict traces to the May 2026 sentencing of Sean Bozarth, a Hillsboro man who entered drug court in 2024 facing a stipulated four-year prison sentence on drug and property charges. When Bozarth reoffended in May by reportedly menacing his pregnant girlfriend, Judge Janelle Wipper sentenced him to probation rather than the agreed-upon prison term.

Senior Deputy DA Jeff MacLean pulled the office's participation on May 18, writing that "the departure from this approach last week threatens the continued operation of ARC."

Barton's office is now demanding new language in the ARC governing agreement that would require judges to impose stipulated prison sentences whenever a participant reoffends. The current agreement does not expire until 2027.

Guptill, after consulting with the Oregon Judicial Department, concluded the demand is unlawful. In an Aug. 6 letter to Barton, she wrote that sentencing "is inherently a judicial function" that "cannot lawfully be delegated to another party or branch of government."

Barton fired back on Aug. 7, writing that "because of the court's actions, we do not have confidence that ARC procedures and agreements will be followed without additional safeguards."

Guptill described Barton's messages as "terms" and "demands" and implored him to return to the existing agreement immediately.

A 21-year track record at stake

ARC launched in 2005 as a collaboration among the Circuit Court, the DA's office, the Washington County Sheriff's Office, Community Corrections and the county's treatment community. The program targets defendants charged with non-person drug and drug-related property felonies who have previously failed treatment.

Through 2023, the program graduated 243 participants, deferred more than 466 years of state prison time and saved an estimated $14 million in taxpayer incarceration costs, according to the DA's own website. Graduates show lower recidivism rates than non-participants.

Carl Macpherson, executive director of Metropolitan Public Defender, called the shutdown "alarming" and said Barton's office is violating the existing agreement by walking away.

No resolution in sight

The standoff remains unresolved.

DA spokesperson Stephen Mayer said on Aug. 11 that the office continues working "to find a path forward," but no timeline or mediation has been announced. Residents seeking information about drug court eligibility can contact the Washington County Circuit Court or the Metropolitan Public Defender's office.