Category Courts
Finding that ‘words have consequences,’ judge throws out Sen. Brian Boquist’s lawsuit
Sen. Brian Boquist reflects on his political and military careers at his Dallas farm. (Aubrey Wieber/Salem Reporter) A federal judge compared state Sen. Brian Boquist to the actor Clint Eastwood and a playground bully Tuesday in dismissing the Dallas Republican’s claims that Senate President Peter…
Oregon’s top judge asked about immigration arrests in courthouses. Here’s what she found
Marion County Courthouse (File/Salem Reporter) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents made arrests in or near 10 of Oregon’s 27 state circuit courts, according to state records obtained by Salem Reporter. The records, released under a public records request, shed light on the scope of…
Judge drops charges against man arrested last year for alleged attack in Minto-Brown Island Park
David Belluno (Booking photo). A man accused of attempting to kidnap and rape a woman at knifepoint in Salem’s Minto-Brown Island Park has had all charges dropped by a Marion County Circuit Court judge who found he wasn’t fit for trial. On Dec. 18, Judge…
A small nonprofit is trying to help lawyers become more scientifically literate — and keep innocent people out of prison.
The work that occurs in crime labs can determine if someone goes to prison or walks free. (Courtesy/ Oregon State Police) When Janis Puracal began reviewing evidence used to convict Nicholas McGuffin of killing his girlfriend, she recalled how it didn’t add up. In 2011,…
Court finds that police coerced murder confession
Public safety – standing graphic UPDATE: This story has been updated with comment from the public defender involved in the case. SALEM – A Woodburn man’s murder conviction has been overturned after the Oregon Court of Appeals determined that police coerced his confession, telling him…
New courthouse rule aims to stop Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests
Marion County Courthouse (File/Salem Reporter) Citing a need to protect the integrity of the judicial system, Oregon’s top judge adopted a rule Thursday intended to restrict the ability of federal immigration agents from making arrests in the state’s courthouses. But Immigration and Customs Enforcement has…
Finding police orders unjustified, Supreme Court reverses conviction
(Courtesy/Wikimedia Commons) Determining that police need more than a “hunch” to stop citizens, the Oregon Supreme Court has reversed a man’s conviction of interfering with a peace officer. The decision, issued last week, could affect encounters between police and the public as well as how…
Appeals court denies Bend teacher’s worker compensation claim after parking lot fall
(Courtesy/Wikimedia Commons) SALEM – A teacher injured in a fall in a Bend elementary school parking lot isn’t eligible for workers compensation because she was not on the clock at the time of the accident. That’s the conclusion of the Oregon Court of Appeals in…
Seeking to curb ICE courthouse arrests, immigrant advocates push for new court rule
Leland Baxter-Neal, staff attorney with the ACLU of Oregon, and Nadia Dahab, an attorney working with Innovation Law Lab, make their case for a new court rule aimed restricting ICE arrests at state courthouses. (Jake Thomas/Salem Reporter) SALEM – Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would…