But also, that this change requires a cross-systems approach that involves housing services, community organizations, and others. Judith Matarazzo is the presiding judge of the Court, serving with 37 others. Judge Baggio strives to create, on a daily basis, a calm environment where she resolves legal disputes in an understandable and respectful manner. "I don't think the DA's office belongs there," she says. We work with corrections administrators in all 50 states to help develop comprehensive plans to combat those challenges. He told her none of the 81 lawyers in his office would ever try a case in front her again. "The district attorney is saying 'we are never ever getting back together' with Judge Matarazzo.". Her work with this committee led to the recommendation of a grant program for counties focused on people with complex health needs who frequently utilize the criminal justice and health systems. And after 11 years on the bench, Matarazzo was also hoping for a major step up. Driven by the passion to understand the law and reach the right result, she reads everything before hearing cases. A national initiative to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in jails, A data-driven initiative to help states prioritize spending for strategies that increase safety. This hard work under extreme circumstances exposed her to the variety of social, political, and economic challenges that are confronted by Oregonians across the state. The Council of State Governments Justice Center and the American Psychiatric Association Foundation have partnered to highlight leaders working to address mental health needs among people in the criminal justice system through innovative practices and programs. He worked at Markowitz Herbold PC, a boutique civil litigation firm, earning partnership in 2017. "We've seen a number of DA offices look to wholesale disqualification of a specific judge based on a perceived bias," said the ACLU's Rogers. Ensuring peoples safe and successful transition from incarceration to the community is challenging and highly complex. Reentry is more than staying out of jail or prison; it also involves reuniting families, eliminating barriers to employment, finding stable housing, and much more. Our team works with states and local communities to improve responses for people with mental health needs in the criminal justice system. Arts And shortly after Underhill announced the impending memo removing her from all criminal cases, she lost the vote for Multnomah County presiding judge to her colleague Stephen Bushong. On that one Friday in the Spring of 2018, I experienced first-hand how Judge Patricia McGuire uses her unique perspective in service to the community as a Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge. ", "Once they've done this to one judge, any judge could be in the cross hairs," he says. chapter She describes civil law as fascinating and looks forward to being assigned more civil trials and motions in the future. "Prosecutors have an enormous amount of discretionand usually that's a good thing," says Lewis & Clark's Parry. All Rights Reserved. On Aug. 27, the ACLU of Oregon launched an advocacy campaign that seeks to restrict the authority of the state's district attorneys, calling them "the most powerful people in the criminal justice system." Attend a free virtual webinar, training, or event. She lost that battle, and the district attorneys and judges will be moving into the new courthouse together when it opens in 2020. Active in civic life, Judge Moawad has previously served on multiple bar committees, and the boards of Mentor Minds Matter and Camp Rosenbaum. in Gul had worked as a guard for the Karzai government in the town of Gardez. a From early on, Judge McGuire was aware of the struggles of legal work. Lawyers have an ethical obligation to protect their clients interests in the event of lawyer death, disability, or incapacity. The Professional Liability Fund has a great handbook (with forms) to help you with that process: Planning Ahead: A Guide to Protecting Your Clients Interests in the Event of Your Disability or Death, which is available at www.bit.ly/osbplanning-ahead. A fireplug with a big smile and cropped auburn hair, Matarazzo likes to cook Italian foodespecially cannolisand aspired to be a folk singer before she started her legal career. Justice Patricia McGuire grew up in Portland with permanent foster parents, who ended up being her adoptive parents. Brown raised roughly $226,000 and Ghandour approximately $175,000, according to the most recent campaign finance records available. She earned endorsements from Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, former state senator Avel Gordly, and Portland city councilors Jo Ann Hardesty and Amanda Fritz. related Multnomah Bar Association LSAT Preparation Course Scholarship - Apply Now! 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. We will treat you with respect. Multnomah County Department of Community Justice Family Court Services toggle Menu 503-988-3189 TTY Relay Service: 711 Direct services to parents and others include: Intake Services (Initials)/(Assignment), Dept Number Phone Judicial Assistant Judicial Clerk 13-A / 13200 Albrecht (CAA)/(Chief Criminal), 31 971-274-0680 Vanessa DeJesus Benjamin Cregger 11-B / 11200 . She was a finalist, but didn't get chosen by Gov. Despite Marquis' assessment, Underhill leads an office that reformers say views some judgesand Matarazzo in particularas too soft on criminals. Thursday, March 12, 2020. Those listed include judges of the Oregon Supreme Court, the Oregon Tax Court, and the Oregon Court of Appeals at the state level. The 17-story building spans 450,000 square feet building, and cost $324 million. Multnomah County voters chose Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian Brown in a competitive circuit court race in which she garnered 57% of the vote over opponent Rima Ghandour. Im hoping that as a country we begin to look at how do we create community? and good solutions for people who are struggling and vulnerable. and One of the things that Judge Anna Brown has said and that I have taken to heart is that you need to make sure that you take time for yourself. She says she was merely ratifying a decision another judge had already made. She worked the federal class-action civil rights suit that uncovered the Portland Police Bureaus pattern of using excessive and unconstitutional force against people with mental illness. One night, as he slept in a house belonging to a man rumored to be in cahoots with the Taliban, Gul was swept up by US soldiers under the cover of darkness and taken to Guantanamo via the Bagram Air Base. from "It gives the perception that the district attorney and justice are the same.". Matarazzo tried to suspend, break up or offer alternatives to the sentences so that someone who had racked up a third DUII could still avoid jail and get treatment. I tried to explain the rules to the man myself, but he was very upset. Even more, though, she still marvels at Judge Moawads tenacity in coming to the courthouse, bald from chemotherapy, ready to roll. In March, Judge Moawad will celebrate eight years since her last chemotherapy treatment. In a 40-minute conversation, the county's top prosecutor explained that he planned to ask the court to remove Matarazzo from a case his office was prosecuting. Judge Baggio graduated high school in Alabama and went on to Wake Forest University where she graduated in 1995, cum laude, with a BA in Speech Communication and a minor in French. Our team works collaboratively with jurisdictions to understand the experiences and effects of victimization, increase access to victim services, and improve systemic responses through restitution and victim compensation programs. Matarazzo is not the only judge who's feeling prosecutors' wrath. Health Underhill denies he was trying to send a message. He had failed to meet some DISP requirements, and Matarazzo could have tossed him in jail. for where and People are at a very emotional time in their lives. "It strikes at who you are. 1401 NE 68thPl., Portland OR 97213, Open. Underhill's office declined to say, but she is the only judge he has chosen to remove from all criminal and civil cases involving the state since taking office. Brown, although the governor's office denies any connection. An African American man was at the family law counter trying to get a restraining order. Although he's served for a far shorter period than many Oregon DAs, Underhill has earned his peers' respect. [4], Courts.Oregon.gov Multnomah County Circuit Court, 4th Judicial District. "I'm 58 years old," she says. Looking back, Judge Moawad says her work waiting tables between her time at Whittier College and beginning to attend law school at University of Oregon Law informs her in her current role presiding over cases. In both of these capacities, Judge Waller advises on solution-oriented ideas related to improving competency to stand triala process designed to protect the rights of people who are unable to assist in their own defense that has become increasingly overburdened nationwide. After one year at the MPD, Judge Baggio returned to the FPDs office where she worked from 2002 to 2013 for then-Federal Public Defender Steve Wax. He values professionalism and preparation from attorneys, and also listens attentively to the individuals appearing pro se. Looking back from a two-year perspective, the first year flew by. an "She made me feel like I was a personand not just a case number, a person in the system, a criminal, an addict and an alcoholic.". They are very stressed out. If a judge wants to knock down an affidavit, she must prove the lawyer who filed it acted in bad faith. However, she remarked that her current role has given her newfound appreciation for the work that goes into quickly making decisions in a way that will keep a trial running efficiently. Justice Adrienne Nelson Appointed to the US District Court of Oregon. But when she became the presiding judge of the mental health court and competency dockets in 2018, she quickly realized the need to expand her understanding of the mental health care opportunities and challenges for people in the criminal justice system. Setting off on her next career, McGuire attended Lewis & Clark Law School, graduating in 1995. Multnomah County Courthouse Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Judge McGuire recalls presenting her papers to Judge Elizabeth Welch, who sent her back home to make corrections. "They use that discretion not to charge people or to bring lower charges than they could bring. There is no voicemail on this department's phone line. But when she became the presiding judge of the mental health court and competency dockets in 2018, she quickly realized the need to expand her understanding of the mental health care opportunities and challenges for people in the criminal justice system. In effect, Underhill had sidelined an independently elected member of another branch of government who did not work for him. Visual There, she began to develop her particular style and approach to criminal law practice. The Honorable Amy Baggio: Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge The Honorable Amy Baggio: Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Cynthia Newton, Court Liaison Committee Thursday, January 16, 2020 In March 2019, Governor Kate Brown appointed Amy M. Baggio to the Multnomah County Circuit Court. in economics from Grinnell College in 1989. In 2006, three races were contested or competitive. Oregon's criminal justice system is relatively enlightened, but the incarceration debate is furious here as well. 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