Oregon Judicial Vacancies
Recent Vacancies
Governor Brown Announces Clackamas County Circuit Court Vacancy
The following candidates have submitted materials to the Governor's Office for this vacancy. Comments on any of the candidates can be made to Deputy General Counsel at Governor Kate Brown's Office, Dustin Buehler, (503) 378-6246, or dustin.e.buehler@oregon.gov.
Kovas, Charles
Laidlaw, Angela
Medina, Ruben
Monson, Jon
Neese, Paul
Scott, Roxanne
Tran, Thanh
Weston, Cody
Wu, Michael
Governor Kate Brown Announces Jackson County Justice Court Vacancy
The following candidates have submitted materials to the Governor's Office for this vacancy. Comments on any of the candidates can be made to Deputy General Counsel at Governor Kate Brown's Office, Dustin Buehler, (503) 378-6246, or dustin.e.buehler@oregon.gov.
Watson, Janice
Wente, Nathan
Zammetti, Jennifer
Governor Kate Brown Announces Klamath County Circuit Court Vacancy
The following candidates have submitted materials to the Governor's Office for this vacancy. Comments on any of the candidates can be made to Deputy General Counsel at Governor Kate Brown's Office, Dustin Buehler, (503) 378-6246, or dustin.e.buehler@oregon.gov.
Dougherty, Sarah
Hedlund, Stephen
Kritzer, Kelly
Lam, Bonnie
Governor Kate Brown Announces Lane County Circuit Court Vacancy
The following candidates have submitted materials to the Governor's Office for this vacancy. Comments on any of the candidates can be made to Deputy General Counsel at Governor Kate Brown's Office, Dustin Buehler, (503) 378-6246, or dustin.e.buehler@oregon.gov.
Fennerty, Erin
Gardner, James
Husted, Amanda
Jonak, Jennifer
Sabri, Sarah
Saint Marie, Katina
Thomas, Jason
Governor Brown Announces Multnomah County Circuit Court Vacancies
The following candidates have submitted materials to the Governor's Office for this vacancy. Comments on any of the candidates can be made to Deputy General Counsel at Governor Kate Brown's Office, Dustin Buehler, (503) 378-6246, or dustin.e.buehler@oregon.gov.
Bodzin, Jay
Engelsman, Stephanie
Francesconi, Bryan
Gates, Maurisa
Ghandour, Rima
Howes, Celia
Jones, Andrew
Kalbaugh, Brad
Kaplan, Scott
Kirkwood, Erin
Kohlmetz, Andrew
Le, Robert
McCormack, Chris
Monson, Jon
Montalbano, Sonia
Naranjo, Sandra
O'Glasser, Ben
Park, BJ
Plank, Jenna
Reidel, Mike
Schlosser, John
Shull, Christopher
Sinlapasai, Chanpone
Sykes, Diane
Tran, Thahn
Weston, Cody
Governor Brown Announces Washington County Circuit Court Vacancy
The following candidates have submitted materials to the Governor's Office for this vacancy. Comments on any of the candidates can be made to Deputy General Counsel at Governor Kate Brown's Office, Dustin Buehler, (503) 378-6246, or dustin.e.buehler@oregon.gov.
Burke, Steven
Franco, Deanna
Jensen, James
Lemoine, Elizabeth
McCormack, Christopher
Meisner, Anastasia
Park, BJ
Rini, Michele
Strausbaugh, Daniel
Summer, Miranda
Thibeault, Amanda
Underwood, James
Recent Appointments
Governor Kate Brown Appoints Stephen Morgan to Lane County Circuit Court
Salem, OR—Governor Kate Brown announced today that she will appoint Stephen Morgan to the Lane County Circuit Court. Morgan will fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Ilisa Rooke-Ley, who is retiring at the end of this month. The appointment is effective January 1, 2021.
“Stephen Morgan brings a tremendous amount of experience and compassion to the bench,” said Governor Brown. “He has spent his career prosecuting the most egregious cases of domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault. Through this work, he has served the community’s most vulnerable through a trauma-informed lens and has given victims a voice in our criminal justice system.”
Morgan is a deputy district attorney in the Lane County District Attorney’s Office, where he leads the domestic violence trial team that he helped create in 2008. He joined the District Attorney's Office in 2002 and has prosecuted a spectrum of cases from homicide and robbery to child abuse and domestic violence. An active member of the community, he mentors law students, served on the board of the Eugene Timbers Futbol Club, and is a member of the Lane County Domestic Violence Council.
Morgan was raised by his mother in Madras, Oregon, and joined the Marine Reserves after graduating high school. He obtained his bachelor’s degree and law degree from the University of Oregon. In between earning these degrees, he taught English in Taiwan for two years and traveled extensively before settling in Eugene—the community he has called home for nearly two decades.
Governor Kate Brown Appoints Amanda Benjamin to the Circuit Court in Lincoln County
(May 5, 2021, Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown announced today that she will appoint Amanda Benjamin to the Lincoln County Circuit Court, to fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Thomas Branford. Her appointment is effective immediately.
“Amanda Benjamin’s dedicated service to Lincoln County as a full-time hearings referee and judge pro tem for the past two years makes her uniquely well positioned to hit the ground running,” said Governor Brown. “I am pleased that Lincoln County will have another great judge joining the circuit court.”
Benjamin earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina, and earned her law degree with honors from the University of Tennessee College of Law. After graduating from law school, she began her legal career in Oregon, working in private practice in Medford, before moving to a law firm in Newport. During that time, she worked as a child protective services worker with the Lincoln County Department of Human Services. She then served as a Deputy District Attorney in Lincoln County, with a brief period of time serving in the Malheur County District Attorney’s Office, adding to her statewide perspective. While with the District Attorney's Office, Benjamin worked extensively with community partners, and was recognized in 2016 with a Prosecutor of the Year award at the Lincoln County Law Enforcement Banquet. In January 2019, Benjamin transitioned to her current role as the full-time hearings referee and judge pro tem for the Lincoln County Circuit Court, where, in addition to managing a regular caseload, Benjamin established and leads the County’s mental health treatment court.
Benjamin is active in the community, serving on the Oregon Judicial Department’s Behavioral Health Advisory Committee and the Judicial Engagement and Leadership Institute, as a mentor through the Oregon State Bar, and as the leader of the Lincoln County Juvenile Model Court Team. In prior years, Benjamin served on the board of My Sister’s Place and on the Children’s Advocacy Center event planning committee.
Governor Brown Appoints Judges to the Circuit Court in Marion County
(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown announced today that she will appoint two judges to positions on the Marion County Circuit Court. Governor Brown will appoint James 'Jim' Edmonds to a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Mary James, and will appoint Jodie Bureta to a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Claudia Burton.
“The Marion County Circuit Court manages a diverse and complex caseload, and I am pleased to appoint two experienced litigators who will hit the ground running,” Governor Brown said. “Like other courts around the state, Marion County will face a backlog of trials, particularly civil trials, as we emerge from the pandemic. Having Edmonds’ and Bureta’s expertise on the bench will help the court work through those cases fairly and efficiently.”
Edmonds is a lawyer in private practice, who has worked as a civil litigator for nearly 35 years. He was born and raised in Marion County, and has spent his entire legal career in the area. Edmonds earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon in 1982, and graduated with his law degree from George Washington University Law School in 1986. After graduating from law school, he entered private practice as a civil litigation attorney with Clark, Marsh, Lindauer and McClinton, rising to be a managing partner with that firm. Since 2008, he has been a partner and managing partner at Fetherston Edmonds LLP. He teaches as an adjunct professor at Willamette University School of Law, and serves as a part-time judge pro tem. Edmonds is active in his community, volunteering with the Marion County Association of Defenders, the United Way Mid-Willamette Valley, and the Salem Multicultural Institute World Beat Festival. Edmonds’ appointment is effective immediately.
Bureta currently serves as a full-time hearings referee in Marion County, and her more than 17 years of legal experience span both criminal and civil law. Bureta attended Gonzaga University, and earned her law degree from Willamette University College of Law in 2003. Following her graduation, Bureta worked for over a decade as a Deputy District Attorney for the Marion County District Attorney’s Office, rising to become a trial team lead, and handling homicide and sexual assault cases, among others. During that time, she worked on the Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force, and served on the faculty at the Sexual Assault Training Institute. In 2014, she transitioned to a job in the Civil Enforcement Division of the Oregon Department of Justice, spending six years investigating and prosecuting elder abuse and Medicaid fraud. In March 2020, Bureta became a full-time judge pro tem and hearings referee for the Marion County Circuit Court. Bureta volunteered for a number of years with Baden-Powell Service Association, a scouting program for youth and adults of all genders, and with Northwest Children’s Outreach. She has also volunteered to help develop and present trainings on topics related to sexual assault, serves on state and local bar committees, and mentors law students. Bureta’s appointment is effective March 11, 2021.
Governor Brown Appoints Justin Kidd to Marion County Justice Court
(April 26, 2021, Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown announced today that she will appoint Justin Kidd to the Marion County Justice Court. Mr. Kidd will fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Justice of the Peace Janice Zyryanoff, who is retiring at the end of June. The appointment is effective July 1, 2021.
“Justin Kidd brings patience, compassion, and experience to the Justice Court,” Governor Brown said. “Both his personal and professional experiences with the legal system have provided him with the empathy necessary to be Marion County’s next Justice of the Peace. I am confident that he will help ensure that all people in Marion County have access to justice, regardless of their circumstances.”
Justin Kidd is a Senior Assistant Attorney General in the Trial Division of the Oregon Department of Justice, where he represents the State in a spectrum of cases ranging from small claims to multimillion dollar jury trials and complex class action suits involving constitutional claims. He joined the Department of Justice as an Honors Attorney in 2009 and now coordinates the Honors Attorney program and leads the Trial Division’s Law Clerk program. Kidd also mentors law students, volunteers for mock trial competitions, and has served as a foster parent for years.
Kidd obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver, his master’s degree in public management from Carnegie Mellon University, and his law degree from the University of California, Berkley. Prior to obtaining his law degree, Kidd was selected as a Boettcher Scholar, a Point Scholar, and a Truman Scholar for Public Service.