Welcome to the MBA Courts Page

Judicial Profiles

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

Proposed Reduction Plan for Oregon Judicial Department

On March 26, the Fiscal Services Manager for the State Court Administrator's Office issued a budget reduction plan for the Oregon Judicial Department. The effects of the proposed budget reductions are reported in 5% increments, up to 30% for the 2009-2011 biennium.

Oregon Courthouse Facilities Update

The 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 Interim Committee met for the last time on January 7. The committee’s outside 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 DeMuniz provided testimony to the committee, as did MBA President Michael Dwyer.

The committee’s final report will be issued by late January and it will: adopt the consultant’s prioritization report, recommendations for continuing discussion of a permanent governance board for ongoing facility operations, maintenance and capital improvements and mention of Multnomah County Courthouse issues. As more information becomes available, we will include it here.

Multnomah County Courthouse Information

A complete list of Multnomah County 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.

New Filing Fee Schedule

The legislature passed a filing fee schedule in 2008. An explanation of the fee increases may be found here.

UTCR Changes

UTCR changes took effect August 1.

Mediation Commission Formed

A Mediation Commission, chaired by Judge Kristena LaMar, has been formed. The commission's charge is to design application forms for qualified mediators, design rules to evaluate qualifications of applicants, and recommend to the Presiding Judge applicants who have met the requirements. A list of approved applicants will be made available to the public.

Multnomah County Jury Verdicts

Clicking the following links will open a PDF file

• 2008 Jury Verdict Report (January-June)
• 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.
• Multomah 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.