New judgeships approved for Washington, Clackamas counties

Washington and Clackamas counties will get one new judge each under legislation headed to Gov. Tina Kotek.

Senate Bill 1541 cleared the House on a 48-5 vote Thursday, March 7. It passed the Senate the previous day on a 19-10 vote.

Washington County would increase its number of circuit judges from 15 to 16, and Jackson County from 10 to 11, starting on July 1. Clackamas County would increase its judges from 11 to 12 starting on July 1, 2025.

"These three counties show an additional need for judges," said Rep. Charley Conrad, R-Dexter, the bill's floor manager in the House.

Rep. Kevin Mannix, R-Salem, opposed it in the Legislature's joint budget committee but supported it on the House vote. He said his objection was to the timing of the appointments, two of which would have judges sitting for almost two years before they come up for election to full six-year terms.

This year’s version was pared down from the seven new judgeships requested last year by Chief Justice Meagan Flynn for several counties. Two of them were for Washington County, which a study commissioned by the state and conducted by the National Center for State Courts concluded that the workload there would justify four new judges. Clackamas County had been scheduled for one new judge.

The chief justice leads the Oregon Judicial Department, which includes trial courts in 27 districts covering the 36 counties. Each of the metro area counties is its own district.

The current bill comes with $1.9 million for start-up costs, which are less than the $4.7 million required for operation during a full two-year state budget cycle in 2025-27. Judges are state employees, as are their staffs, although counties provide space and security as part of the 1981 legislation that enabled a state takeover of trial courts beginning in 1983.

Washington County will house its new judge at its Law Enforcement Center in downtown Hillsboro. The center houses the sheriff’s office and the jail. The county also is seeking a state planning grant of $1.25 million to begin planning for more courthouse space, but construction will have to await completion of the planning.

Clackamas County will house its new judge when its new courthouse is completed in 2025. The current courthouse in Oregon City was opened in 1937 and is likely to slide into the Willamette River if there is a severe subduction-zone earthquake off the Oregon coast. The new courthouse is under construction on the Red Soils campus, which also is home to the Public Services Building and the Development Services Building.

Multnomah County completed a new courthouse in downtown Portland in 2020.

All three counties are taking part in a state program that enables 50-50 cost sharing with counties for new courthouses or remodeled space.

pwong@pamplinmedia.com