District Attorney Declines to File Charges Against Medford School Board Member

Medford, Oregon- The Jackson County District Attorney’s Office announced today that it will not be filing charges against Medford School Board Member Michael Williams in connection with a criminal complaint alleging a violation of Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) 166.370. The complaint arose after Mr. Williams was reportedly seen wearing a sheathed knife on his belt during school board meetings and other school-related events.

The Oregon State Police conducted an investigation into the matter, which was completed and submitted to the District Attorney’s Office earlier this month. Chief Deputy District Attorney Patrick Green reviewed the findings and concurred with the Oregon State Police’s conclusion that no crime had occurred.

Under ORS 166.370(1)(a), it is a Class C felony for a person to intentionally possess a dangerous weapon, including a knife, in a public building if the weapon is used, attempted to be used, or threatened to be used as a dangerous weapon. According to ORS 161.015, a “dangerous weapon” is defined as an instrument capable of causing death or serious injury under the circumstances in which it is used.

Based on the investigation, while the knife in question could be classified as a dangerous weapon, there was no evidence that Mr. Williams had used, attempted to use, or threatened to use the knife in any way that would violate the statute. As a result, the District Attorney’s Office determined that Mr. Williams’ actions did not meet the criteria for criminal charges under ORS 166.370 or any other law.

The District Attorney’s Office emphasized that this determination only addressed potential criminal violations and did not evaluate whether Mr. Williams’ possession of the knife violated school board policies. Those matters fall outside the scope of the criminal investigation.

This decision concludes the District Attorney’s review of the matter. The office stated that it will not be providing further comment on the case.