Lake Oswego says goodbye to one municipal judge and welcomes another

The Oswego Municipal Court administered something of a passing of the gavel this week.

Lake Oswego judge of 19 years Bruce Shepley formally ended his tenure from the post, while new Judge Cierra Brown took over Wednesday, July 31. Brown is a criminal defense attorney who has focused on helping the mentally ill navigate the criminal justice system.

“Listen carefully and try to do the right thing,” Shepley advised Brown. “And she will.”

The Lake Oswego Municipal Court handles non-felony cases like traffic violations, driving under the influence of intoxicants and misdemeanor sex offenses. Unlike some other municipal courts, it is considered a court of record, which means appeals go to the Oregon Court of Appeals rather than Clackamas County Circuit Court.

“If you are going to be a municipal court judge, this is the place to be,” Shepley said. “By reputation, this is considered to be the best municipal court around.”

Shepley enjoyed serving Lake Oswego all these years, and lauded the police force and City Council as always being competent and supportive.

“It was a real honor to be a judge in this community,” he said.

Shepley said it was simply time for him to step down and that he is winding down his private practice as well.

“This happens to most judges, I know. You hear so much that you don’t lose your objectivity, but it is like absorbing too many bad things or problems. At some point in time, best to turn it over to someone else,” Shepley said.

‘I wanted to find a way to help people’

For Brown, her lodestar has been assisting those who have the most struggles interacting with the criminal justice system.

Brown grew up in Reno, Nevada and worked in juvenile corrections and in therapeutic care with high-risk foster kids before getting her Juris Doctorate from Willamette University College of Law.

“Being a lawyer was something I always wanted to do. I just wasn’t ready to do it. The things I learned in those careers are instrumental in my career now. I’m thankful for the trepidation I had going into law school. I didn’t know what kind of lawyer (I wanted to be). I took my time getting there. I (realized) I wanted to find a way to help people,” Brown said.

As a defense attorney in Clackamas County, she has helped the government develop a system to dramatically reduce the time it takes for adults in custody to be evaluated for mental health issues, accelerating the process of getting them treated in a hospital. She also works primarily with clients who aren’t able to aid and assist in their own defense due to mental health challenges.

“My job is to advocate for them. If, for example, the DA’s office wants to do forced medication, my job is to advocate for my client to not be forcefully medicated or not to be put in hospital if there is a place for them in the community,” Brown said.

Brown also is a board member with Basic Rights Oregon, which strives to help the LGBTQ2SIA community “live free from discrimination and be treated with dignity and respect in every community in our state.”

Clackamas County Circuit Court Judge Heather Karabeika said during a City Council meeting Tuesday, July 30 that Brown “has done an amazing amount of work for her clients and the folks in Clackamas County.”

Before becoming a lawyer, when she worked in juvenile corrections, Brown witnessed how difficult and confusing the criminal justice system was for kids to navigate. She also has worked with difficult clients due to their mental health struggles and these experiences motivate her to empathize with defendants and take the time to explain things to them.

“My goal is to continuously be kind and fair and efficient,” Brown said. “I want to make sure people feel heard and seen regardless of the decision I made; they will be able to walk out of here and they know I’m listening and wasn’t judging them for who they are or came from. That’s what I’ve had to do.”

Brown has previously served as a pro-tem judge in Lake Oswego and West Linn. This new role is the realization of a dream she’s had since she was around 10 years old.

“The City places a great deal of trust in our municipal judge to exercise discretion, creating equitable legal outcomes and positive community results. Not only does Judge Brown bring a respected legal mind, but also a keen understanding of the human element that enables her to continue our municipal court’s reputation as a fair, reasonable and effective venue of justice,” Lake Oswego Mayor Joe Buck said in a press release. “The City Councilors and I applaud her appointment.”