Oregon

FBI: Skyjacker May Have Survived ‘71 Parachute Jump With $200K, Died of Natural Causes Decades Later

A hijacker who parachuted from a Boeing 727 over the Pacific Northwest with a $200,000 ransom in 1971 and has never been found despite one of the most extensive manhunts of the 20th century may have survived the dangerous night leap into rugged territory. Agent Fred Gutt of the Federal…

Aug 2, 2011 12:28 AM CDT

9th Circuit Says Calif. Lawyer Must Be Allowed to Continue to Practice in Federal Court in Oregon

A California lawyer who apparently may not have been allowed to sit for the Oregon state bar exam because he didn’t graduate from a mainstream law school must nonetheless be allowed to practice in federal court in Oregon, a federal appeals court has ruled. Because Mark Corrinet was previously admitted…

Jul 20, 2011 8:54 PM CDT

Is a Cage-Free Chicken a Happy Hen? Oregon Lawmakers Ponder This and Other Issues

What does it take to make a hen happy? Even the experts aren’t sure. But legislators and lobbyists in Oregon are having a shot at the subject, working to fine-tune an innovative new law that sets standards for keeping chickens in a humane setting. By 2026, the current version mandates,…

Jul 7, 2011 12:33 AM CDT

Transgender Law Grad Sues Oregon Over Hysterectomy Coverage Denial, Alleges Discrimination

A law graduate who says the hormones he took as part of a female-to-male sex change have put him at heightened risk of ovarian and uterine cancer is suing the state of Oregon for refusing to cover a hysterectomy that his doctor says is medically necessary. Alec Esquivel, 41, also…

Jun 21, 2011 11:01 PM CDT

Two Top Deputies for Oregon DA Resign

A prosecutor in Central Oregon announced today that two top deputies have resigned, effective July 5, for undisclosed reasons. Deschutes County District Attorney Patrick Flaherty praised the two in a press release, but offered no further comment about what prompted their departure from his office, according to Horizon Broadcasting Group…

Jun 20, 2011 11:52 PM CDT

Oregon State Bar Mentoring Program Aims to Help New Lawyers Acquire Skills to Build Solo Practices

In an effort to address the surging number of new lawyers launching solo practices, the Oregon State Bar is launching a new statewide mentoring program to pair the freshly minted graduates with experienced mentors. The Practical Skills Through Public Service program, an initiative of the Oregon New Lawyers Division, places…

Jun 17, 2011 6:22 PM CDT

Is Pee Problem in Portland Reservoir a Crime? DA Must Decide

After a man was caught on surveillance footage peeing into a reservoir in Portland, Ore., he told authorities he thought the uncovered expanse of water was a sewage treatment tank. Although the relatively tiny quantity of pee poses virtually no health hazard, officials decided to drain the reservoir, because of…

Jun 16, 2011 5:01 PM CDT

PI Firm Sponsors Naked Bike Ride, Tells Participants ‘When You’re Naked, We’ve Got You Covered’

Apparently seeing a business opportunity as well as an opportunity to do good concerning a hugely popular annual naked bike ride in Portland, Ore., a personal injury firm with a partner who’s an avid cyclist is serving as a title sponsor of the event. Expected to attract perhaps as many…

Jun 8, 2011 8:31 PM CDT

Law Students Facing Final Exams Share Common Anxiety Dream with Others, Including Long-Ago Grads

For law students and others who may think that graduation will release them from a common form of anxiety, the Oregonian has bad news: Dream on. Nightmares about failing an exam because you forgot about the test, didn’t study for it or forgot to attend the class are a common…

May 31, 2011 11:52 PM CDT

Oregon Marijuana User Can Have Concealed Weapon Permit

An Oregon woman who wants medical marijuana and a concealed handgun permit can have both, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled today. Cynthia Willis sued the Jackson County sheriff for trying to take away her gun permit after she acknowledged in a 2008 renewal application that she had a medical marijuana…

May 19, 2011 6:58 PM CDT

Ex-Prosecutor Indicted in Sex-for-Leniency Case, Charged with Official Misconduct

A former longtime Tennessee prosecutor has been criminally indicted on a felony charge of official misconduct, after being accused of flirting with female defendants and stating or implying that they would be treated more leniently if they had sex with him. However, Doug Godbee, 57, who formerly served as a…

May 4, 2011 7:24 PM CDT

Can a Speeder Who Drove Into State 2 at 121 mph Be Prosecuted in State 1? Appeals Court Says Yes

A man who police say sped across the Astoria-Megler Bridge from Oregon to Washington state at 121 mph in August 2007 can be tried in Oregon for reckless driving even though he was in Washington by the time he was pulled over, the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled (PDF) today.…

Mar 30, 2011 10:21 PM CDT

Ore. AG Announces Shutdown of Debt-Collection Law Firm

The state attorney general of Oregon announced today an agreement under which a law firm has been closed and one of its name partners agreed to give up his license to practice after multiple alleged violations of state and federal debt-collection law. A press release details the accusations against McGavic…

Mar 17, 2011 6:11 PM CDT

Prestigious College Protests Virtual Twin, So Far to No Avail

It isn’t just individuals whose identity can be hijacked. Officials at prestigious Reed College, in Portland, Ore., were stunned to discover last year that much of their website had been copied by the nonexistent “University of Redwood,” reports the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.). Although Reed has sought to shut…

Mar 2, 2011 12:28 AM CST

As Man Is Dying in Hospital Parking Lot, Police and Ambulance Get There Before ER Staff

Seemingly, 61-year-old Birgilio Marin-Fuentes shouldn’t have had to look far for help when he apparently had a heart attack as he was driving his car erratically into the garage of a Portland, Ore., hospital and crashed into a wall there earlier this month. But he got more assistance from city…

Feb 16, 2011 12:04 AM CST