Telephone customer service available. Our team works collaboratively with jurisdictions to understand the experiences and effects of victimization, increase access to victim services, and improve systemic responses through restitution and victim compensation programs. Eventually, they came to understand that he had likely been confused for Chaman Gul, a known warlord, who was also imprisoned at Guantanamo. The suit led to the federal settlement that required the city to meet a list of police reforms. Our team works with communities across the country to adopt and more effectively implement policies and practices shown to reduce recidivism and improve other youth outcomes. 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. "It's very concerning.". 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. You may walk out the door no longer being a custodial parent. At that time Judge McGuire had been a family law judge for just around six months (appointed September 13, 2017), and had been a family law practitioner for several years. After five years in criminal practice, Judge Alexander took a job as in-house litigation counsel with an energy company in Florida. Judges must be able to be straightforward with their role. 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. She has a lot of compassion. 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. Anybody who is walking on the sidewalk, anyone who is in the bike laneis at considerable risk," Deputy District Attorney Mike Botthof said in court at the time, arguing for a harsher punishment. "If they blow it, they can go to prison.". Looking back from a two-year perspective, the first year flew by. But in Matarazzo's case, Underhill went nuclear. I tried to explain the rules to the man myself, but he was very upset. The DA's conclusion: "The State cannot receive a fair and impartial trial or hearing before Judge Matarazzo in any criminal or civil matter.". Multnomah Bar Association 2023. Former Supreme Court Justice Robert "Skip" Durham says Matarazzo would have made a strong addition to the court. I wanted to be able to explain to somebody who is being sent to the hospital for restoration, for example, what thats going to look like. Telephone customer service available. Gov. Iniguez and Baggio and their team investigated the governments allegations against Gul and learned the details of his life and the circumstances under which he was in Gardez and captured. research, 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. "Two days before the memo came out, our informal poll had me at 20 to 17," Matarazzo says. I told the man that a judge who handled restraining orders was on her way. the "We've seen a number of DA offices look to wholesale disqualification of a specific judge based on a perceived bias," said the ACLU's Rogers. McGuire practiced family law with Andrew Bobzien at Bobzien McGuire from 2007 until 2013 and partnered with Loren Thompson at McGuire Thompson from 2013 until she was appointed to the bench in 2017. "She is exactly the judge I would want to appear before, as a lawyer or as a party," the governor said. Attend a free virtual webinar, training, or event. Before Underhill revealed the memo, she expected to win. Multnomah Bar Association LSAT Preparation Course Scholarship - Apply Now! She lost that battle, and the district attorneys and judges will be moving into the new courthouse together when it opens in 2020. Judge Baggio took the bench in April 2019 as a general assignment judge and hears both criminal and civil matters. How you know The second year has concluded. "She's an excellent judge," Durham says, "and an excellent student of the law.". 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. Alexander (SA), 26 . "Our criminal justice system is set up to give outsized power to district attorneys," says Bobbin Singh, executive director of the left-leaning Oregon Justice Resource Center. Kate Brown. View more information about UTCRs and SLRs. A disproportionate number of people in the criminal justice system struggle with substance use disorders, many of whom also have co-occurring mental illnesses. Her work with this committee led to the recommendation of a grant program for counties focused on people with complex health needs who frequently utilize the criminal justice and health systems. and Judge Alexander's unique perspective - as a criminal prosecutor, in-house counsel, and private practice civil litigator . She considers herself lucky, having been placed in foster care shortly after she was born, to have had a secure placement for all of her childhood. Center, "They use that discretion not to charge people or to bring lower charges than they could bring. A veteran of dozens of jury trials, Judge Moawad has a comprehensive understanding sense of what it takes to come into court as an advocate. For example, in 2018, she joined the behavioral health steering committee for The Council of State Governments Justice Centers Justice Reinvestment Initiative in Oregon. While in Salem, Judge Moawad also broadened her experience with public safety agencies and unexpectedly spent much of her time in that role marshalling the states responses and issuance of conflagration declarations in six consecutive summers of significant wildfires. Prior 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. Several of the judges were in a meeting away from the building, including my boss. Learn Matarazzo and other judges working on the DISP court saw the mandatory sentence as a barrier to getting defendants into the treatment court. When someone says you cannot be fair and impartial, for a judge, that strikes the essence of what it means to be a judge. that aims to dramatically improve reentry success for people exiting prison and those under supervision. She has been a judge for over two years, is the ninth African American to serve as a judge in Oregon and is the fourth African American woman judge when she was appointed by Governor Brown. Of 14 Multnomah County judicial positions that were up for a vote this May or November, this is the only one that was contested. the Each year, millions of people return to their communities from jail or prison. I needed something more.". Telephone and online services available. While a student at Lewis & Clark Law School, Lucero demonstrated a profound commitment to creating a more diverse and equitable legal community by tutoring fellow minority law students and serving on the admissions committee . He says Underhill's action sends a message to all judges. When she turned 18, she aged out of the foster care system and prepared her own adoption papers to formally have her foster parents adopt her. MFA If a case has been postponed (set-over) and the new date is known, that date will be displayed in the "Additional Information" column. Weekend Lobby Hours Change at Inverness Jail Effective February 4. But the DA's office was committed to following the law to the letter. Multnomah County Courthouse | 971-274-0500. Matarazzo says she's come to believe that incarceration is often less effective than treatmentand she's voiced that view aggressively. "He's been more willing than others to look at alternative justice programs that some of us have been more leery of," Marquis says. "It gives the perception that the district attorney and justice are the same.". Justice They got nowhere. Its interesting - I feel like I have a different perspective. The pair had met only a handful of times before. Although he's served for a far shorter period than many Oregon DAs, Underhill has earned his peers' respect. to Procedural justice is an integral part of every area of the courthouse. "A result of this could be that judges will feel pressure not to disagree too much or too often with the DA's office.". On three occasions, private lawyers have filed single-case affidavits against Matarazzo, but that's a pretty standard number for any circuit judge. provides It draws from all the areas of law and you have to know about a lot of different things. Several of her friends had gone to law school and she admired that they were paid to read, write and think. All Rights Reserved. Weekend Lobby Hours Change at Inverness Jail Effective February 4. That kind of blanket rejection is extremely rare. Weekend Lobby Hours Change at Inverness Jail Effective February 4. They can't state that any DA in the state is doing anything or operating in any way other than in accordance with the law.". Lately, reform advocates like Matarazzo, an outspoken critic of mandatory minimum sentences that give prosecutors enormous power, have gained ground. Survivors of violent crime endure financial, social, mental, and physical pain and suffering, which greatly reduces quality of life. Elizabeth Even more, though, she still marvels at Judge Moawads tenacity in coming to the courthouse, bald from chemotherapy, ready to roll. In March, Judge Moawad will celebrate eight years since her last chemotherapy treatment. Matarazzo says she hopes to find some kind of compromise with Underhill so she can go back to trying criminal cases. At this second pause in her professional career, she wondered what she would do next. over 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Seeing their resolve to impact social issues inspired her to apply to law school. Multnomah County Courthouse - 1200 SW First Avenue, Portland, OR 97204 . "He does not leap before he looks.". General information: 971.274.0500 Jury service Judges Civil Criminal Family Parking Small Claims Small Estate Traffic OJD Courts ePay, online payment system "That's the balance that's in the court system," Neely says. BFA Last year, county and court officials finished planning a new, $300 million building to replace the crumbling, century-old county courthouse. Some of the complaints in the DA's memo, Matarazzo says, stemmed from her attempts to use her judicial discretion to funnel offenders into treatment instead of prison. photography, 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. York In the recent case of Synectic Ventures I, LLC v. EVI Corporation, 353 Or 62 (Dec . That's what DISP did for me. An official website of the State of Oregon . See full Courthouse closure information on their website. Justice Adrienne Nelson Appointed to the US District Court of Oregon. "I didn't know why he was there.". Louis; But there are people who worry that DAs have so much discretion that they control the justice system.". She continued to represent a wide variety of clients, and she remained committed to not only to defending her clients against criminal charges but continuing to advocate for them in such a way as to provide support should they be ready to move beyond their pasts and on to more stable lives. Multnomah County Circuit Court Going to Court Rules Rules Supplementary Local Court Rules (SLRs) Each Oregon circuit court adopts Supplemental Local Rules (SLRs). That court gives judges greater discretion than any other specialty court to determine which offenders are fit to enter DISP to receive treatment rather than jail time. MA People come into court one way and then they may leave another. Mercedes Deiz; the second was Hon. Multnomah County Department of Community Justice Family Court Services toggle Menu 503-988-3189 TTY Relay Service: 711 Direct services to parents and others include: Intake Services Behavioral YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Baggio, and Heidi Moawad, filled vacancies created by the retirements of Judges Marilyn E. Litzenberger and John A. Wittmayer. Judge Alexander felt called to serve because he wants to make a positive difference in the lives of people who come before the court. In the spring, she'd applied for one of two openings on the bench of the Oregon Supreme Court. (how to identify a Oregon.gov website) All Rights Reserved. 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. Multnomah County is the only county in Oregon with a court for repeat DUII offenders. Judge Alexanders unique perspective - as a criminal prosecutor, in-house counsel, and private practice civil litigator - affords him the opportunity to make a daily impact on those who appear in his courtroom. It helps them with the rulings of the court. Multnomah Bar Association 2023. Rules are effective February 1 of each year unless they are adopted "out-of-cycle" by approval of the Chief Justice. 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. Kate Brown, who appointed Torres in spring as a family law judge in Multnomah County Circuit Court, called her smart, funny, fair and fearless. 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. Arts writing, Deputy district attorneys met with Matarazzo in 2015, and Underhill sent her a letter to express their concerns that she had been holding hearings without a prosecutor present, which they said violated judicial ethics. An African American man was at the family law counter trying to get a restraining order. Judicial Profile: The Honorable Patricia McGuire - Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Lee Ann Donaldson, Court Liaison Committee Tuesday, April 21, 2020 It was a regular Friday afternoon at the Multnomah County Courthouse in the spring of 2018. The family clerk called over to my judges chambers for help. (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 . "I needed a change," she says. She has already conducted many criminal trials and recently conducted her first civil trial in an employment discrimination case. Meanwhile, Underhill's office says no prosecutors spoke to The Oregonian for the story. 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. It gave me a structure and a different way to live a life.". Because if there's any truth to that statement, you don't belong on the bench.". Telephone hours are8:30-10:30 am&1:30-4:30 pm. Its a marathon, and not a sprint. where Matarazzo thinks the bad publicity may have interfered with her getting the Supreme Court appointment from Gov. Underhill ran unopposed in 2012 and 2016. Telephone and online services available. Although Matarazzo says Underhill's affidavit caught her by surprise, she probably should have seen it coming. One power district attorneys retain, however, is the blanket affidavit. 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. [3] SRG Partnership was the lead architect, and Hoffman Construction Company lead contractor, both Portland based. a The courthouse includes orientation and deliberation rooms for jurors and grand jurors; Multnomah County Probation Intake offices; Sheriff offices for courthouse security; facilities for the transport of in-custody defendants; and the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office. 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. This Oregon government-related article is a stub. After law school she joined the Metropolitan Public Defenders (MPD) office in Portland. I had never met Judge McGuire before then, but immediately I knew she was an amazing asset to the bench. In two of those cases, the Oregon Court of Appeals found Matarazzo had erred and reversed her rulings. in Thursday, March 12, 2020. To reduce overreliance on police officersparticularly as first responders to people in behavioral health crisismany communities are expanding their crisis response options. Open. 1200 SW 1st Ave Such sentences sometimes cost people their jobs and their ability to pay for DISP court-ordered treatment. 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. If a judge wants to knock down an affidavit, she must prove the lawyer who filed it acted in bad faith. 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. photography 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. The county assessor valued it at $40 million, but estimated necessary upgrades for earthquake resistance at $70 million. Nobody on the panel vetting the Supreme Court candidates or in the governor's office could have missed it. photographer she "DAs have the right to affidavit judges. "My perception of most judges is, they are somewhat conflict averse," she says. Awareness and Across the country, communities are struggling to address the high number of people with mental health needs cycling through the criminal justice system each year. There is no voicemail on this department's phone line. Public Defenders ( multnomah county circuit court judges ) office in Portland n't belong on the panel vetting the Supreme court from. Out the door no longer being a custodial parent getting defendants into the new courthouse together when opens. A pretty standard number for any circuit judge reduce overreliance on police officersparticularly as first responders to in. Missed it their crisis response options that 's a pretty standard number for any judge. 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