Welcome to the MBA Courts Page

Speedy Justice For Civil Cases in Multnomah County

Presiding Judge Jean Kerr Maurer recently announced that Multnomah County Circuit Court is offering an expedited track for civil jury trials, effective immediately. Multnomah County Circuit Court is one of the pilot courts in Oregon implementing the new program. For more information, see the media release, program description, expedited civil jury trial motion, expedited civil jury trial order and outline of what to expect at the first case management conference of an expedited case.

Draft Supplementary Local Rules Available for Review

The Fourth Judicial District draft rules are available for MBA members to review. The rules will be reviewed at the Uniform Trial Court Rules Committee fall meeting in October and will become effective February 1, 2011.

Multnomah County Circuit Court Chosen as a Site for National Study on Civil Litigant Needs

A UC Davis study, funded by the National Science Foundation and the ABA, will assess legal services for civil litigants.

Courthouse Watch

The MBA has inaugurated a new feature: Courthouse Watch. The purpose of this is to monitor courthouse facility plans in the county.

The Vanishing Civil Jury Trial in Multnomah County

A committee appointed by Presiding Judge Jean Kerr Maurer examined the reasons behind the decline of civil jury trials in Multnomah County. The November 6, 2009 report includes raw data, a summary and recommendations.

Judicial Profiles

Multnomah County Judges, Oregon Appellate Court Judges and Oregon Supreme Court Justices with available profiles.

Oregon Courthouse Facilities Update

The 2008 Oregon Legislative Interim Committee on Court Facilities contracted with outside consultants to study courthouse facilities around the state. The report covers 48 facilities around the state; the consultants shared details on their methodology for their facilities prioritization reports. Risk of harm and funding effectiveness (highest risk/lowest cost) were the guiding principles. The consultants were to figure out if there were high-risk and small-cost projects with the direction that it would be better to mitigate more lower-costs projects than spend millions on one. The Multnomah County Courthouse, with an estimated replacement cost of $209 million, ranked last in the prioritization list of 48 courthouse facilities. Chief Justice Paul J. DeMuniz provided testimony to the committee, as did (former) MBA President Michael Dwyer.

Multnomah County Courthouse Information

Courthouse reports, studies, testimony and photos.

Online Tips from the Bench

Tips from the Bench, one of the most popular columns in the Multnomah Lawyer, is available online.

Contact Information

Courtrooms and phone numbers for Multnomah County Circuit Court Judges.

2008 Civil Jury Practices Report Available

The Multnomah County Presiding Court Task Force on Civil Jury Trial Practices has released a report that identifies practices for civil jury trials likely to increase juror comprehension and satisfaction and improve trial efficiencies. You may download a color or black and white version of the report (both are .pdf files). If you have comments or questions about the report, please send us an email.

Multnomah County Jury Verdicts

Clicking the following links will open a PDF file

• 2009 Jury Verdict Report (Jul-Dec)
• 2009 Jury Verdict Report (Jan-Jun)
• 2008 Jury Verdict Report (Jul-Dec)
• 2008 Jury Verdict Report (Jan-Jun)
• 2007 Jury Verdict Report
• 2006 Jury Verdict Report
• 2005 Jury Verdict Report

Oregon Judicial Department

• Court Opinions Updated weekly with the opinions of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and Tax Court.
• Oregon Courts An introduction to and history of Oregon’s trial and appellate courts.
• Our Court System (PDF) An organized flowchart of the court system in Oregon.
• Juror Information (PDF) What to expect as a juror.
• Multnomah County Courts Web site.

Area Bar Associations

• Clackamas County Bar Association A nonprofit association of approximately 250 attorneys and judges who reside or practice in Clackamas County.
• Clark County Bar Association Promoting professional development, increasing the profile of good legal practices, and engaging in community outreach in lower Southwest Washington.
• Washington County Bar Association An organization whose stated goal is to provide information and support to its members and the general public.
• Other Oregon Bar Associations The OSB's list of contact information for Baker, Clatsop, Crook, Yamhill, Grant, Jackson, Wasco, Deschutes, Lane and other counties.

More Resources

• Department of Justice Information about the Attorney General's office, Oregon’s courts, the people they serve, and people who work and volunteer in our courts.
• Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Complete text of the rules governing civil procedure in the US, provided by Cornell University Law School
• Voters Report Library A resource from the Oregon League of Women Voters [http://www.lwvor.org] with more information about Oregon’s courts
• Oregon Council on Court Procedures Created by the Legislature to work on rules related to pleading, practice and procedure.

Threats to Federal Judges and Prosecutors Doubled

The number of threats against federal judges and prosecutors more than doubled over the past six years according to a report released by the US Department of Justice. CNN’s article of January 4, 2010 states that “The number of threats and ‘inappropriate communications’ made to federal judges, US. attorneys and assistant U.S. attorneys increased from 592 in fiscal year 2003 to 1,278 in fiscal year 2008, the report says.” http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/01/04/judges.threats/index.html