In addition to divorces and custody disputes, she handled several challenging restraining order cases. She went beyond, engaging with her clients and their families to achieve a result that allowed them the opportunity to address underlying issues that led to their involvement in the criminal justice system. Im hoping that as a country we begin to look at how do we create community? and good solutions for people who are struggling and vulnerable. The judges and staff of the Multnomah County Circuit Court make the following pledge to each litigant, defendant, victim, witness, juror and person involved in a court proceeding: We will listen to you. judge for the Multnomah County circuit court in Portland, OR. The second year has concluded. Instead, she gave him a final chance. After several minutes, one of the staff was able to find Judge Patricia McGuire. Multnomah County Courthouse In 2008, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in Boumediene v. Bush, holding that held detainees at Guantanamo had a right to file petitions for habeas corpus. Center, "She's very insightful and very bright," says her former law partner Mike Gutzler. for All Rights Reserved. At that time, a very good friend asked Patricia to join their family law practice, to help out. 1200 SW 1st Ave There is no voicemail on this department's phone line. His case reinforced her belief that the rule of law including the fundamental rights guaranteed by our Constitution - are essential in the functioning of our justice system and in maintaining our very democracy. "So I'm convinced that it created a problem for me there.". Despite Marquis' assessment, Underhill leads an office that reformers say views some judgesand Matarazzo in particularas too soft on criminals. If you asked Judge Alexander, he would say that becoming a member of the Multnomah County Circuit Court was the best way for him to give back to his community. and These rules supplement the Uniform Trial court Rules (UTCRs). Increasingly, law enforcement officers are the first, and often the only, responders to calls involving people with behavioral health needs. In a 40-minute conversation, the county's top prosecutor explained that he planned to ask the court to remove Matarazzo from a case his office was prosecuting. -- Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee. Multnomah Bar Association LSAT Preparation Course Scholarship - Apply Now! Washington Waud entered the program in January 2011, after being arrested for driving 95 mph on a freeway while drunk. As a member of the bench, Judge Alexander knows that he is in a privileged position to give back to the community and contribute to ongoing efforts to make the justice system more accessible and effective for all the people it serves. It's a philosophical disagreement over what role judges should play, who should be behind bars and for how longand how the vast sums of money allocated to public safety should be spent. In the column at the far right, contact information for the subpoena clerk in the unit handling the case is shown. "I don't think the DA's office belongs there," she says. Meet our team of more than 100 dedicated staff, See the state and local officials that guide our work, Get to know the funders who support our work, Browse our library of original research and analysis. Mr. Matasar served as a mentor in private practice and was her sounding board for ideas. and The Multnomah County Circuit Court's DUII Intensive Supervision Program aims to divert repeat offenders into drug or alcohol treatment rather than locking them up. She saw her role as broader than the often-challenging work of spotting legal issues and guiding her clients through the criminal charges they faced. Behavioral "It gives the perception that the district attorney and justice are the same.". As a child, Brown recalled witnessing her single mother struggle to raise her and her sister on her own. For example, in 2018, she joined the behavioral health steering committee for The Council of State Governments Justice Centers Justice Reinvestment Initiative in Oregon. The new Multnomah County Courthouse on SW 1st Ave opened October 2020. He first met Judge Judith Matarazzo a few weeks after he entered the program. In 2013, the pendulum swung toward reformers in Oregona bit. About 85 percent of people who appear in front of Judge McGuire are self-represented, she estimates. In other words, an affidavited judge is guilty until proven innocent. to the "I didn't know why he was there.". He strives to give litigants a fair chance to be heard, treat them with dignity and see their humanity. Multnomah County voters chose Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian Brown in a competitive circuit court race in which she garnered 57% of the vote over opponent Rima Ghandour. Midway through her tenure as a prosecutor, Judge Moawad had the opportunity to work as legislative counsel for the 2005 legislative session. Prosecutors and defense attorneys sometimes make such requests. But when she became the presiding judge of the mental health court and competency dockets in 2018, she quickly realized the need to expand her understanding of the mental health care opportunities and challenges for people in the criminal justice system. Justice Adrienne Nelson Appointed to the US District Court of Oregon. Brown later joined the U.S. Air Force, which allowed her to secure a college education. For over 100 years, the Multnomah Bar Association (MBA) has provided a forum for lawyers to gather together for collegiality, to improve the justice system, to provide law-related community service and to access services and benefits that strengthen professionalism, satisfaction and success. "She'd have to follow the law and allow us to participate in the hearings," says Deputy District Attorney Kirsten Snowden. Early returns. Stephen Bushong, a judge on the Multnomah County Circuit Court since 2008, will fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the planned retirement of Justice Thomas Balmer. Call ahead if you plan to visit at 503-988-3475. The work had lifelong impacts on her as a person and as a lawyer. the an Multnomah Bar Association 2023. Although DAs are elected officials, they rarely face challengers. The DA's conclusion: "The State cannot receive a fair and impartial trial or hearing before Judge Matarazzo in any criminal or civil matter.". But in Matarazzo's case, Underhill went nuclear. Driven by the passion to understand the law and reach the right result, she reads everything before hearing cases. True to her Oregon nature, she did not enjoy the daily 75-degree days and she returned to Portland looking for her next career. Iniguez and Baggio were then appointed to represent Gul in his case filed in the DC District Court. She is inspired by the cards and letters she receives from former clients who have found the strength and courage to overcome some of lifes most seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Weekend Lobby Hours Change at Inverness Jail Effective February 4. Network, But Underhill went much further. an Earlier this year, Underhill moved to defelonize the possession of minor amounts of hard drugs, well before other Oregon counties. To allow time for her careful review she encourages attorneys to submit briefings as early as possible. From early on, Judge McGuire was aware of the struggles of legal work. She currently serves on the board of Lincoln Youth Football. Our team works with jurisdictions across the country that are serving as laboratories for innovation to ensure that behavioral health crises receive the appropriate response. At this second pause in her professional career, she wondered what she would do next. Learn [1] The chief prosecutor is Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt . It was a natural roll-over into becoming a judge. She worked the federal class-action civil rights suit that uncovered the Portland Police Bureaus pattern of using excessive and unconstitutional force against people with mental illness. Weekend Lobby Hours Change at Inverness Jail Effective February 4. Weekend Lobby Hours Change at Inverness Jail Effective February 4. management For over 100 years, the Multnomah Bar Association (MBA) has provided a forum for lawyers to gather together for collegiality, to improve the justice system, to provide law-related community service and to access services and benefits that strengthen professionalism, satisfaction and success. Our team works with communities across the U.S. to promote and bring models of success to scale. Telephone customer service available. One power district attorneys retain, however, is the blanket affidavit. she Underhill employs 81 prosecutors and has an annual budget of $32.9 million. The Honorable Amy Baggio: Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge The Honorable Amy Baggio: Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Cynthia Newton, Court Liaison Committee Thursday, January 16, 2020 In March 2019, Governor Kate Brown appointed Amy M. Baggio to the Multnomah County Circuit Court. Oregon's criminal justice system is relatively enlightened, but the incarceration debate is furious here as well. But when she became the presiding judge of the mental health court and competency dockets in 2018, she quickly realized the need to expand her understanding of the mental health care opportunities and challenges for people in the criminal justice system. We will respond to your questions about court procedure. Senior Program Associate, Behavioral Health, Elizabeth For information regarding Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) , please visit Oregon State Legislature website. Senior Judge Jean Kerr Maurer, who administered Judge Moawads oath of office, was always impressed by Judge Moawads skills as a trial lawyer, her organizational ability, and her work ethic. Fleming Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. We'll send you a newsletter with what you need to know every week. They got nowhere. photography One of her clients, who she represented along with Assistant Federal Public Defender Ruben L. Iniquez, was Nazar Chaman Gul, imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay Prison since 2003. Im so hopeful that we are in a moment in time where people are beginning to recognize the importance of mental health initiatives, she said. Setting off on her next career, McGuire attended Lewis & Clark Law School, graduating in 1995. There, she met and worked alongside local elected officials and attorneys hired to advance several campaigns. But the DA's office was committed to following the law to the letter. In many communities, correctional facilities provide more treatment for people with mental illnesses than community-based mental health providers do. Judge Alexander started his legal career at the State Attorneys Office in the Eighth Judicial Circuit in Gainesville, Florida prosecuting misdemeanor and felony crimes. Patricia McGuire grew up in Portland with permanent foster parents, who ended up being her adoptive parents. On three occasions, private lawyers have filed single-case affidavits against Matarazzo, but that's a pretty standard number for any circuit judge. It draws from all the areas of law and you have to know about a lot of different things. "They use that discretion not to charge people or to bring lower charges than they could bring. As most of us know, complex litigation rarely has opportunities for court and Patricia McGuire really wanted to go to court. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. In 2009, while Schrunk was still district attorney, his office affidavited Marilyn Litzenberger, another Multnomah County circuit judge with very public views on judicial independence, and refused to allow her to hear any felony cases brought by the state. Those listed include judges of the Oregon Supreme Court, the Oregon Tax Court, and the Oregon Court of Appeals at the state level. Judge McGuire approached the man, and I do not recall exactly what he said, but he was surprised to see that Judge McGuire was African American. Elizabeth Fleming. On September 16, 2019, Judge Lucero was sworn in as Multnomah County's then-newest Circuit Court Judge, and immediately began her duties for an overworked court which has seen a spate of retirements. in Although he's served for a far shorter period than many Oregon DAs, Underhill has earned his peers' respect. The pair had met only a handful of times before. Matarazzo pushed for the DA's office, now located in the courthouse, to be excluded, noting that it and the court represent two independent branches of government that should be separated. (how to identify a Oregon.gov website) Matarazzo had a lot on her mind. A national initiative to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in jails, A data-driven initiative to help states prioritize spending for strategies that increase safety. as Since becoming a judge, Matarazzo has handled a wide variety of cases but has focused half her time on a specialized section of the court: the DUII Intensive Supervision Program, or DISP. plate ` `o28asd ` `10/07/2022 . University. (Initials)/(Assignment), Dept Number Phone Judicial Assistant Judicial Clerk 13-A / 13200 Albrecht (CAA)/(Chief Criminal), 31 971-274-0680 Vanessa DeJesus Benjamin Cregger 11-B / 11200 . An official website of the State of Oregon . media joining That kind of blanket rejection is extremely rare. video, On that one Friday in the Spring of 2018, I experienced first-hand how Judge Patricia McGuire uses her unique perspective in service to the community as a Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge. "If you look statewide, district attorneys and the DA Association have had a huge footprint on influencing the Legislature," says David Rogers, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon. That's what DISP did for me. Some criminal justice reform advocates worry that even as lawmakers seek to rebalance the criminal justice system, the power of affidavits could curtail the independence of the judiciary. Yet people with juvenile and criminal recordsespecially Black peoplesuffer from an alarmingly high and stubborn unemployment rate. Lately, reform advocates like Matarazzo, an outspoken critic of mandatory minimum sentences that give prosecutors enormous power, have gained ground. And Im hoping that as a country we begin to look at how do we create community? and good solutions for people who are struggling and vulnerable., Profile photo caption: Courtesy of Honorable Nan Waller, judge for the Multnomah County circuit court in Portland, OR, Hero image: Photo byToa HeftibaonUnsplash, After authorizing $10.6 million to help people with behavioral health issues get, START NOW is a skills-based, manual-guided group psychotherapy program that was developed, Apply to participate in a virtual learning collaborative consisting of three sessions, The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center and the American Psychiatric Association Foundation have partnered to highlight, With unanimous consent, the U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Reauthorization Act of 2022, On December 29, 2022, President Joe Biden signed a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package for Fiscal Year 2023., The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center and the American Psychiatric, With unanimous consent, the U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan Justice and Mental, On December 29, 2022, President Joe Biden signed a $1.7 trillion omnibus, In 2021, the Judges and Psychiatrists Leadership Initiative (JPLI) established two awards, 22 Cortlandt St 22nd FloorNew York, NY 10007. Corrections agencies are grappling with a unique combination of public safety challenges, including stubborn rates of recidivism and high costs. 495 NE Beech Ave., Gresham OR 97030, Open. McGuire graduated from Grant High School, and then graduated from Oregon State University, majoring in graphic design, which provided her with an early career. Michael Yates, Court Liaison Committee. In the recent case of Synectic Ventures I, LLC v. EVI Corporation, 353 Or 62 (Dec . . The man started crying out of frustration and fear, but he was still angry, too. This year, they increased the pace of reform, defelonizing personal possession of heroin and methand, in another blow to prosecutors, requiring the audio recording of all grand jury sessions. Judge Eric Bloch, who ran the DISP court from 2003 to 2006, says he thinks Matarazzo's decisions fell within the parameters of treatment-court best practices and that Underhill's disagreement with her could have been resolved without the affidavit. "I needed a change," she says. "People are recognizing more and more the power and influence that DAs have.". Reentry is more than staying out of jail or prison; it also involves reuniting families, eliminating barriers to employment, finding stable housing, and much more. Underhill's office declined to say, but she is the only judge he has chosen to remove from all criminal and civil cases involving the state since taking office. One night, as he slept in a house belonging to a man rumored to be in cahoots with the Taliban, Gul was swept up by US soldiers under the cover of darkness and taken to Guantanamo via the Bagram Air Base. I needed something more.". At her investiture, her former colleagues spoke about her tenacious drive to protect the public and to pursue justice. Multnomah County Courthouse | 971-274-0500. I am truly thankful she was there when we needed her. Judge Alexander has spent many hours giving back to the community: as a board member of the Classroom Law Project, a mock trial coach at Jefferson High School and as a volunteer for local nonprofits. Elizabeth I told the man that a judge who handled restraining orders was on her way. "She probably should have been affidavited years ago.". The man at the counter was not persuaded. Its my job to explain how the process works, explain what my role is, and find out what they need and how to help with their problems. for But also, that this change requires a cross-systems approach that involves housing services, community organizations, and others. in economics from Grinnell College in 1989. After five years in criminal practice, Judge Alexander took a job as in-house litigation counsel with an energy company in Florida. "This experience is 10 times worse than breast cancer," says Matarazzo, who has survived two bouts with the disease. that aims to dramatically improve reentry success for people exiting prison and those under supervision. Gov. advocated We spend a lot of emphasis on procedural fairness and access to justice so people feel like they are heard. Its a positive thing to do. for Browse our library of video content from across the U.S. We work with corrections administrators in all 50 states to help develop comprehensive plans to combat those challenges. Oden-Orr Law August 30, 2013. When the Port closed the repair yard, she was offered a similar job in San Diego and so she went to California. Division. and "The district attorney is saying 'we are never ever getting back together' with Judge Matarazzo.". Complaints that Matarazzo improperly granted extensions to defendants in the DUII diversion program, which allows first-time offenders to avoid a conviction on their record. You might need to ask someone for assistance to figure out issues. In 2019, Governor Kate Brown appointed him to the Multnomah County Circuit Court. [1] Education Dahlin obtained a B.A. decade She has already conducted many criminal trials and recently conducted her first civil trial in an employment discrimination case. Procedural justice is an integral part of every area of the courthouse. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Circuit court judges in Oregon are normally appointed by the governor of Oregon, and subsequently run for re-election as incumbents, rarely facing opposition. People come into court one way and then they may leave another. One of the things that Judge Anna Brown has said and that I have taken to heart is that you need to make sure that you take time for yourself. With her appointment, Judge Moawad returned to the same courthouse where she worked for the first decade-plus of her career as a Multnomah County prosecutor. His experience runs the gamut from trusts and estates to employment matters, contract disputes and intellectual property issues. Brown has served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Oregon for 13 years, with a focus on civil rights enforcement. MA New Matarazzo wondered what Underhill wanted. He had failed to meet some DISP requirements, and Matarazzo could have tossed him in jail. Judge McGuire recalls presenting her papers to Judge Elizabeth Welch, who sent her back home to make corrections. She started clerking at Davis Wright Tremaine after her first year, returned after her 2L year, and received a job offer following graduation. These articles describe the exhaustive investigative and legal work necessary to secure Nazar Guls release: www.bit.ly/NazarGul1 and www.bit.ly/NazarGul2. "Prosecutors have an enormous amount of discretionand usually that's a good thing," says Lewis & Clark's Parry. Kate Brown. support While juvenile incarceration rates have dropped dramatically over the past decade, most juvenile justice systems are not operating as effectively as possible. Telephone customer service available. Kate Brown, who appointed Torres in spring as a family law judge in Multnomah County Circuit Court, called her smart, funny, fair and fearless. In the spring, she'd applied for one of two openings on the bench of the Oregon Supreme Court. Multnomah County Circuit Court Phone Number: 971.274.0500 2021 JUDICIAL DIRECTORY FOR CIVIL AND CRIMINAL JUDGES ONLY Address: Multnomah County Courthouse - 1200 SW 1st Ave, Portland, OR 97204 WebSite: http://courts.oregon.gov/courts/Multnomah Court/ Chambers/ JrRm Judge (Initials) / (Assignment) Phone Judicial Assistant Clerks Access to meaningful employment is a key component in reducing recidivism and creates pathways to increased economic mobility. She's very down to earth.". The Multnomah County Circuit Court, which composes the 4th Judicial District of the Oregon Circuit Court system, is the general jurisdiction trial court of Multnomah County, Oregon. "Rod is reflective of the Multnomah County community.". They are very stressed out.
multnomah county circuit court judges