Falsely charged with a crime, no way to fight it: inside Oregon’s court crisis

Corshelle Jenkins, whose life was upended after a case of mistaken identity prolonged by lack of a public defender, at home in Portland. Photograph: Amanda Lucier for the Guardian

Corshelle Jenkins was charged with a crime she didn’t commit – and now, there was a warrant for her arrest.

In May 2025, the 36-year-old Portland resident received a letter saying she had been arrested for theft, and after failing to appear in court, police were instructed to take her to jail. The mother of six was stunned. She had never been arrested for stealing. She assumed a visit to court would prove it was a case of mistaken identity.