Washington County Settles Lawsuit

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, October 04, 2016

In a joint statement, Washington County and lawyers representing a Eugene woman who was the victim of rape and assault in 2014 announced today that they have reached a settlement of all outstanding issues in the woman's lawsuit against the county. The county will pay the woman $666,700 within the applicable limits under state law.

Washington County wishes to reiterate its deepest sympathies for the woman, her family and her loved ones in the aftermath of the outrageous acts of violence she experienced as a result of this incident.

On September 13, 2014, Jaime Tinoco committed a violent attack and sexual assault against the woman near Autzen Stadium. He was in Eugene earlier that day as part of a group being supervised by Washington County Juvenile Department counselors on a trip to a University of Oregon football game. The crime occurred several hours after Tinoco separated from supervisory staff and the rest of the group, following the game.

At the time of this incident Tinoco was on court-ordered probation for the offenses of harassment, drug possession and burglary. In those cases, Tinoco was not sentenced to physical custody but was directed by the Juvenile Court to live with his parents and be under the supervision of the Juvenile Department to ensure that he was in compliance with the terms of his probation.

After an administrative review of the facts and known circumstances, the Washington County Juvenile Department has made several adjustments to its programming to increase effective group supervision in the community:

• County-sponsored, pro-social community activities are now limited to volunteer service, educational opportunities, life-skills training, appropriate cultural events and physical fitness.
  
• Department-wide guidelines have been strengthened to provide standardized supervision practices which apply to all clients involved in any county-sponsored community activities.
  

The Washington County Juvenile Department remains committed to enhancing community safety and breaking the cycle of delinquency through effective intervention practices and holding youth accountable for their behavior. We continue to feel sorrow for the suffering of the woman harmed in this case, as well as the distress it has caused in both communities. We hope that this settlement provides a measure of support as all involved seek closure and healing.

Funds for payment of this settlement will come from the County's Liability Fund.

Contacts:

Philip Bransford, Washington County Communications Officer
503-846-8685

Derek Johnson & Jennifer Middleton, Attorneys for Eugene Woman
541-484-2434