By Michael Quiel, Investigative Reporter

Enterprise / La Grande, Oregon
There is still no proof Loretta Tye committed a crime.

What exists is Wallowa County Circuit Court case 24CR01407, a 2024 criminal case containing four false misdemeanor criminal charges of Telephonic Harassment against Tye built on private family group-chat texts about a father’s care and estate — and a September 4, 2026, offer from Union County Deputy District Attorney (DDA) Madison Correia to make those charges go away if Loretta agreed to stay away from Rene’ Layton and complete an online course called “respecting boundaries.”

Loretta rejected it.

It should be noted that DDA Correia is being directed by her boss Union County District Attorney (DA) Kelsie McDaniel who is acting to protect her public image and that of her counterpart in Wallowa County, District Attorney (DA) Rebecca Frolander.

Manufacture the charge. Keep it hanging. Never admit you have filed a false criminal charge against an innocent person and sell silence and leniency as mercy and justice.

The Messages Already on the Record

In a related article the US~Observer has already identified and disclosed the texts used in an attempt to justify this prosecution. They were sent in a private, multi-party family group chat. Rene’ Layton stayed in that chat. She did not leave it.

If Layton was offended by what her sister was saying to the rest of the family, in an already existing family chat, she easily could have decided to start a new chat excluding whoever she wanted to or left the then existing group chat.

But she chose to remain and through her contacts in the DA office she allegedly weaponized the DA office for her own retaliatory reasons against her sister.

Tye had every right, free of criminalizing her speech, to remain on that family group chat without her free speech being turned into criminal conduct by unethical prosecutors.

ORS 166.090 is Oregon’s telephonic-harassment statute. A text qualifies only if the sender knows she has been forbidden from messaging by someone with lawful authority over the receiving phone.

Remaining inside a voluntary family chat does not meet that element. Asking about a parent’s isolation, medical care, and the handling of his estate is communication. It is not a Class B misdemeanor.

The State of Idaho already refused Layton’s attempt to turn the same family fight into a criminal libel case in Lewiston. “Civil”, those prosecutors said. No crime. Oregon charged it anyway, due to the fact that Layton has worked in the Wallowa County District Attorney’s Office for years.

The Deal After They Got Caught

US~Observer wrote Union County District Attorney Kelsie McDaniel on August 3, 2026, and asked her to explain why her office is prosecuting Layton’s sister while Layton sits inside Wallowa County District Attorney Rebecca Frolander’s office.

McDaniel acknowledged the letter. She never answered.

Then Correia — same office, 1104 K Avenue, La Grande — sent this plea offer to Loretta Tye:

“DA Diversion for a term of 6 months, $200 diversion fee (including $100 waived), no contact with Rene Layton, and successful completion of the court counselor online respecting boundaries course.

The State takes no position on a no contest plea, so long as the Court accepts it.”

No-contact with the DA employee who holds the Father’s estate. A manners class for asking about a dying father. A discounted fee. Disgusting!

To add insult to injury we have just been informed that the Union County District Attorney’s Office is wanting a five month delay to the trial that is supposed to be taking place in early October of this year. Loretta Tye is opposed to this delay as she should be.

Those Involved in the Case

Editor’s Note: Anyone with information on those named in this article are urged to contact the US~Observer at
submissions@usobserver.net or 602-960-4609.