Oregon

Suspended judge won’t be tried on weapons charges after witness refuses to testify

An Oregon judge who faced ethics charges after refusing to perform same-sex marriages won’t be tried on criminal charges of letting a felon handle weapons.

Oct 24, 2018 2:30 PM CDT

Supreme Court is asked to rule Oregon bakers had a right to refuse to make cake for same-sex wedding

The former owners of an Oregon bakery are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to accept their appeal and decide that they had a First Amendment right to refuse to bake a custom cake for a same-sex wedding.

Oct 23, 2018 4:20 PM CDT

Judge dismisses Trump from climate change suit, says case can go to trial

A lawsuit blaming the federal government for failing to take action to stop climate change can proceed to trial, but the plaintiffs must proceed without President Donald Trump as a defendant, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken of Eugene, Oregon, ruled Monday in the suit filed…

Oct 16, 2018 1:25 PM CDT

House of Delegates urges end to mandatory arbitration of sexual harassment claims

After a year in which sexual harassment in the workplace has taken center stage, the ABA House of Delegates voted to urge legal employers not to require mandatory arbitration of such claims.

Oct 1, 2018 12:50 AM CDT

Oregon lawyers sue over mandatory bar dues in wake of Supreme Court’s union dues decision

Diane Gruber and Mark Runnels argue in a suit filed last Wednesday in federal court that paying compulsory dues infringes on their First Amendment rights because it helps pay for political and ideological speech they disagree with.

Sep 4, 2018 11:54 AM CDT

Louisiana, Oregon should require unanimous juries for felony convictions, ABA House urges

Only two states, Louisiana and Oregon, permit felony convictions by a less than unanimous vote. At Monday’s meeting, the ABA House of Delegates voted to urge those states to end the practice, raising concerns about how well it serves justice.

Aug 6, 2018 1:58 PM CDT

Trump pardons Oregon ranchers who inspired Malheur National Wildlife Refuge standoff

President Donald Trump has pardoned Dwight and Steven Hammond, the Oregon ranchers whose arson conviction inspired the 40-day standoff at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The Hill and the Washington Post have stories.

Jul 10, 2018 3:25 PM CDT

1881 Initiative aims to increase the number of female AGs

The Democratic Attorneys General Association has launched an initiative to elect more women to an underestimated position: state attorney general. DAGA’s 1881 Initiative is named for the first year two women ran for—and lost—state AG seats. The goal is to ensure that by 2022 at least half the Democratic attorneys general will be women.

Jul 1, 2018 2:10 AM CDT

Suit claims landlord didn’t see lawyer’s clause freezing his rent in perpetuity

A lawsuit filed against an Oregon lawyer claims he drafted a clause in his lease that freezes his rent at $1,550 a month in perpetuity. Landlord Angela Bell says in the suit that the lawyer, Kevin Preston of Clackamas, had drafted the lease after refusing to sign one created by…

Jun 21, 2018 7:10 AM CDT

Judge orders teen to pay nearly $37M in restitution for starting wildfire

An Oregon judge has ordered a teen to pay $36.6 million in restitution for tossing fireworks in the Eagle Creek Canyon last September and sparking a wildfire that spread to more than 48,000 acres. Judge John Olson ruled in an opinion released Monday, report the Oregonian, the Associated Press, the…

May 22, 2018 11:55 AM CDT

Suit argues animals have the right to sue their abusers

A horse named Justice is entitled to recover the costs of his medical care and damages for pain and suffering from his alleged abuser, according to a negligence suit filed on Tuesday. The Animal Legal Defense Fund filed the lawsuit in Oregon state court, according to a press release and…

May 2, 2018 10:08 AM CDT

Oregon Supreme Court gets first African-American justice

Judge Adrienne Nelson, appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court, says the most important issues are those that people don’t feel entirely comfortable talking about.

May 1, 2018 2:00 AM CDT

Statements by Oregon State Bar and specialty groups draw fire

A statement by the mandatory state bar in Oregon and a second statement by specialty bar groups are drawing criticism from some lawyers who say they are too political. The bar statement, published in the Oregon State Bar bulletin, is titled “Statement on White Nationalism and Normalization of Violence,” the…

Apr 24, 2018 8:56 AM CDT

Legal technicians belong in courtrooms

One of the constant criticisms of the Washington limited license legal technician is that there only around 30 licensed technicians so far—even though the program is still in its infancy. A second challenge is that, currently, the LLLT cannot represent a client in court.

Apr 13, 2018 7:00 AM CDT

Lawyer accused of shooting at another attorney’s office now faces meth lab charges

A lawyer arrested for allegedly firing several shots at the office of an Oregon attorney is facing new charges stemming from a search of his home in Vancouver, Washington.

Mar 28, 2018 7:30 AM CDT