Tag Courts
Marion County’s justice of the peace strives to connect with people through court
Since taking the bench in 2021, Justin Kidd has worked to boost access to the Marion County Justice Court by holding proceedings in Spanish, crafting unique sentences and officiating holiday-themed weddings.
State courts wipe over 8,000 past evictions in Marion, Polk counties
A state law passed in 2023 required courts to seal past evictions annually in some circumstances, removing a key barrier to finding new housing that heightens renters’ risk of homelessness.
Marion judge embroiled in troubled mental health system struggles to protect public safety
Marion County Circuit Court Judge Audrey Broyles frequently has to decide between releasing mentally ill offenders or violating their rights by leaving them in jail. She says a federal order limiting how long people can stay at the Oregon State Hospital has created a public safety crisis.
Retired Judge Charles Luukinen, ‘gold standard’ in Polk County, dies at 75
Charles Luukinen spent almost his entire 25 years on the bench overseeing the Polk County Circuit Court as the presiding judge. After retiring, he devoted time to settling Oregon’s most complicated and costly criminal cases.
Chemeketa Community College eases speech rules following lawsuit
Chemeketa Community College on Thursday, April 16. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Students at Chemeketa Community College can now more easily hold protests on campus after the college settled a lawsuit with a conservative legal group. Under the agreement, the college changed its policy that allowed students…
Lawsuit accuses Chemeketa Community College of violating students’ free-speech rights
Chemeketa Community College (File/Salem Reporter) Chemeketa Community College violated the constitutional rights of a pro-life student group by only allowing its members to distribute pamphlets, flyers and other materials in small “speech zones,” a lawsuit alleges. The complaint was filed on March 5 in U.S.…
Brothers involved in brutal 1990s killing will have their sentence reconsidered
Ellen Rosenblum, Oregon attorney general Twin brothers convicted of murdering an elderly couple in Salem while they were teenagers will have their case reconsidered after the Oregon Department of Justice withdrew a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court. The case centers around Lydell and Laycelle…
Michael Barton died after getting sick in prison. A lawsuit says prison staff ignored his cries for help
Oregon State Penitentiary (Courtesy/Wikimedia Commons) An Oregon State Penitentiary inmate suffering from mental illness was left to die of pneumonia after staff ignored his requests for medical attention, a lawsuit filed against the state Department of Corrections alleges. The lawsuit seeks $15 million and was…
What a Supreme Court ruling could mean for contested energy projects
(Courtesy/ Wikimedia Commons) Two controversial energy projects in the Columbia River Gorge area could move forward as the result of a ruling by the Oregon Supreme Court. The court’s ruling on Wednesday concerns administrative rules adopted in 2018 by the state Energy Facilities Siting Council,…