STATE EX REL. ENGWEILER v. Cook

Plaintiff-relator (relator), who is serving a life sentence for aggravated murder, petitioned the circuit court for a writ of mandamus seeking to compel the Department of Corrections (DOC) to grant him earned time credit pursuant to ORS 421.121. The circuit court dismissed the writ after concluding that the statute does not apply to inmates serving life sentences, and relator appeals. We review for errors of law, ORS 34.240, and affirm.

Relator committed aggravated murder in 1990, when he was 15 years old. He was remanded to adult court, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison. Whether…