Oregon Supreme Court Decisions
The Oregon Supreme Court consists of seven justices. It conducts a direct review of decisions in death penalty cases, Oregon Tax Court cases, certain agency proceedings, and cases involving certain labor law injunctions. The Court also has the discretion to review any decisions by the Court of Appeals, as well as questions certified by the Court of Appeals, a court of another state, or a federal court. It has original jurisdiction over issuing writs such as habeas corpus and mandamus, in addition to certain matters related to elections. The Court oversees the practice of law throughout the state, and it may conduct disciplinary proceedings related to the fitness of a judge or attorney.
Each justice on the Oregon Supreme Court serves a term of six years. Justices are chosen in non-partisan elections, so voters do not see the party affiliation of a candidate on the ballot. However, the Governor of Oregon holds the authority to appoint a justice if a vacant seat arises in the middle of a term. The interim justice must run in the next general election if they seek to remain on the court for a full term. Oregon imposes a mandatory retirement age of 75 on justices. A candidate for this position must be a U.S. citizen and a resident of Oregon for at least three years before being appointed or elected. They also must have been admitted to practice law in the Oregon Supreme Court. The Chief Justice of the Court is chosen by the other justices and holds that position for the full six years. They supervise the administrative and financial tasks related to running the state judiciary.
A justice may face removal in certain situations. These include a felony conviction, a violation of a rule of judicial conduct, incompetence to perform the duties of their position, and alcohol or drug addiction.
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Recent Decisions From the Oregon Supreme Court
Date: May 20, 2021
Docket Number: S067229
Justia Opinion Summary: The issue this case presented for the Oregon Supreme Court’s review centered on whether the trial court erred by ruling that defendant Damon Naudain, a Black man, could not pursue a line of questioning on cross-examinati...
Date: May 20, 2021
Docket Number: S067383
Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner Michael Evans raised a claim for inadequate assistance of counsel based on the performance of his appellate counsel, who had represented him in his direct appeal of multiple sexual-assault convictions. The pos...
Date: May 6, 2021
Docket Number: S067385
Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiff James De Young was a city councilor and resident of the City of Damascus, Oregon. Defendants were Kate Brown, in her official capacity as Governor, and the State of Oregon. In De Young I, the Court of Appeals c...
Date: May 6, 2021
Docket Number: S067568
Justia Opinion Summary: In January 2020, the Energy Facility Siting Council adopted permanent rules addressing the process for amending site certificates and other procedural aspects of the council’s work. Petitioners challenged three of the co...
Date: May 6, 2021
Docket Number: S067623
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2019, the state charged defendant Michael Wolfe with aggravated murder as that crime was then defined. Later in 2019, the legislature passed Senate Bill (SB) 1013, narrowing the definition of aggravated murder, and am...
Date: May 6, 2021
Docket Number: S067820
Justia Opinion Summary: The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit certified a question of law to the Oregon Supreme Court concerning whether a statutory damages cap applied to an award of noneconomic damages in an unlawful employ...
Date: May 6, 2021
Docket Number: S067827
Justia Opinion Summary: The issue this case presented for the Oregon Supreme Court’s review centered on the nature and scope of the “exclusive original jurisdiction” that ORS 419B.100(1) conferred on the juvenile courts over specified categorie...
Date: April 22, 2021
Docket Number: S067316
Justia Opinion Summary: At Tax Court, the parties disagreed about what types of equipment fall within the definition of "logging equipment" exempt from ad valorem property taxation under ORS 307.27. Specifically, they disagreed about what types...
Date: April 9, 2021
Docket Number: S068364
Justia Opinion Summary: The Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives, and the President of the Oregon State Senate, on behalf of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, informed the Oregon Supreme Court that the federal government would not meet...
Date: April 8, 2021
Docket Number: S067165
Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiff submitted a motion for a new trial to the trial court on the last permissible day for filing such a document. The clerk rejected the filing for failure to pay the filing fee. Plaintiff corrected that deficiency...
Date: April 8, 2021
Docket Number: S067211
Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiff Kyle Walker persuaded a jury that her public employer had wrongfully discharged her from her at-will position for blowing the whistle on what she reasonably believed to be her employer’s violations of law. The...
Date: March 25, 2021
Docket Number: S067017
Justia Opinion Summary: Daimler-Benz AG acquired Freightliner Corporation (Freightliner) from Consolidated Freightways (now Con-Way) in 1981. As part of the transaction, it liquidated Freightliner’s assets and liabilities into a subsidiary, Dai...
Date: March 17, 2021
Docket Number: S067290
Justia Opinion Summary: Defendant Talon Ramoz was charged with two counts of first-degree rape and two counts of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration. When it came time to instruct the jury on those charges, defendant and the state both req...
Date: March 4, 2021
Docket Number: S066824
Justia Opinion Summary: Defendant Justin Link committed aggravated murder as a juvenile in 2001. He was sentenced to a term of life imprisonment, which, as defined by statute at the relevant time, required him to serve “a minimum of 30 years wi...
