Category Archives: Judicial Dept.

Appeals court hears annexation case

The fate of voter-approved annexations in Corvallis — and perhaps other jurisdictions — is now in the hands of the state Court of Appeals. Source: Appeals court hears annexation case | Housing the Mid-Valley | gazettetimes.com

Editorial: A slingshot, a bus shelter and a court opinion worth reading

Oregon Appeals Court ruling dispenses common sense with a smile. For pure reading enjoyment, Oregon Court of Appeals opinions aren’t in the same league as Harry Potter novels. Occasionally, though, the court produces something like last week’s very brief (six pages) decision in State of Oregon vs. Rachael Dawn Wakefield, which accomplishes two things. It […]
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State Supreme Court vacates rape conviction of former Bend doctor

The Oregon Supreme Court has vacated the conviction of a former Bend doctor who was sentenced to 25 years for raping a woman he met on a dating website. The high court found the trial judge erred in failing to require the alleged victim comply with a subpoena from the doctor to produce her computer […]
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Oregon Supreme Court opens door for retrial in rape case

Former Bend doctor sought computer evidence in defense. The Oregon Supreme Court on Thursday opened the door for a possible retrial of former Bend doctor Thomas Harry Bray, who was convicted of raping a woman on a first date in 2011. Source: Oregon Supreme Court opens door for retrial in rape case; Former Bend doctor […]
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Martha Walters sworn in as first woman chief justice of Oregon Supreme Court

For the first time in history, a woman is leading the Oregon Supreme Court. Martha L. Walters, 67, was sworn in Monday as chief justice and will preside over the seven-member court for the next six years. Source: Martha Walters sworn in as first woman chief justice of Oregon Supreme Court | OregonLive.com

High costs underpower electric vehicle surge

Chevy Bolt touted as most affordable but it’s all relative, and may depend on federal and state subsidies. As state leaders push more drivers to buy electrified vehicles, their most powerful incentive is tied up before the Oregon Supreme Court. Oregon was one of nine Northeast and West Coast states that released a Multi-State Zero […]
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Initiatives face tactics of delay – Opinion

Sponsors of an initiative to ban some semi-automatic firearms and large-capacity ammunition magazines were confident of their ability to gather the 88,000 petition signatures needed to qualify their proposal for Oregon’s November ballot. But court battles over the proposal’s ballot title consumed too much time. It’s the latest example of initiative opponents winning not at […]
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Oregon Supreme Court won’t hear Sweet Cakes by Melissa’s appeal

The Oregon Supreme Court has declined to consider the case of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, the now-defunct Gresham bakery that refused to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple in 2013 based on the bakers’ religious objections. Aaron and Melissa Klein had been ordered to pay $135,000 to couple Rachel and Laurel Bowman-Cryer in […]
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Oregon Supreme Court OKs ballot title for gun storage initiative

The Oregon Supreme Court on Monday certified the ballot title for an initiative that would require gun owners to store the weapons with trigger locks, cables or in a locked container. Supporters of the proposal can now begin gathering the more than 88,000 signatures they must submit by July 6 in order to get it […]
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NRA and hunting groups appeal gun storage ballot title to Oregon Supreme Court

Members of several gun rights and hunting groups are asking the Oregon Supreme Court to change the ballot title for an initiative that would require owners to store the weapons with trigger locks or in a locked container. The proposal would also require owners to directly supervise any child using a gun and report lost […]
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