Political Desk

By DAVID BATES
Of the News-Register

McMinnville defense attorney Mark Lawrence, rumored to be planning another run for Yamhill County district attorney this year, has an announcement: He’s not going to mount a bid.

Lawrence, who recently squared off against incumbent Brad Berry in the high-profile Patton Middle School “party boy” case, said he’d received an “outpouring of support” as he contemplated a second run.

Lawrence said qualified candidates should seek office when there is “clearly a need for change.” And in the wake of the Patton case, in which Berry’s office was accused by some of going overboard in his prosecution of two 13-year-old boys, he was inclined to think there might be, he said.

But after meeting with Berry and a broad array of community leaders and citizens, Lawrence said he’s no longer inclined to mount a challenge in the May primary election.

“I became convinced he has taken steps to fix what I believed were systemic problems with his office’s charging decisions and prosecution of juvenile cases,” he said.

“The test of a man is not whether he has made mistakes, but rather, whether he can do what is right within the adversity of his mistakes. From my perspective, Mr. Berry looks like a man who has learned from his mistakes and will endeavor to do the right thing.”

Berry has held the seat since 1997, after fending off challenges from Lawrence and fellow defense attorney Al Hansen in a 1996 campaign for an open seat.

He has since been re-elected twice. While widely expected to run again, he said he’s still mulling his options.

“At this time, I am continuing my discussions with my family, supporters and colleagues in law enforcement in Yamhill County,” he said, “and expect to finalize my decision on seeking another term within the next two weeks.

In response to Lawrence’s comments, he said, “I have been very forthcoming about the fact that this office worked with others in reviewing all aspects of the case that he speaks of. In any review of a complicated case, there are things that could have been done differently, and in making such a review, you are able to see changes in the process that would be beneficial in the future.”

Berry said Lawrence’s characterization was personal to him and not entirely shared. He said they had engaged in a frank discussion that dealt with many things, “not just a single case.”

As of Friday, there had been no filings. Nor had their been any other announcements.