List of Highly Qualified Judicial Candidates Provided to Governor
The Multnomah Bar Association (MBA) has announced the
results of its Judicial Screening Committee's (JSC) review of the applicants
for the Multnomah County Circuit Court's judicial vacancy created by the
retirement of Judge Janice Wilson. The MBA provided a list of the applicants
deemed "highly qualified" by the JSC to Governor Kitzhaber. Oregon State
Court vacancies which occur during current judges' terms are filled by
gubernatorial appointment. At the end of the appointee's term, he or she must
stand for election to the judicial position.
The JSC is comprised of lawyer and public members. The committee conducts
background checks and makes its recommendations based upon written criteria to
ensure merit selection.
The MBA's letter to the Governor states: "The MBA takes its screening
responsibility very seriously and has served many governors over the decades.
Our Judicial Screening Committee is a diverse group of respected practitioners
who conduct a confidential and thorough assessment of candidates by objective
criteria."
In alphabetical order below is the MBA list of "Highly Qualified"
candidates:
Andrea Anderly
Eric Dahlin
Lynne Dickison
Kathleen Dunn
Rodney Grafe
Timothy Heinson
Charles Henderson
Lissa Kaufman
John Knowles
Shelly Matthys
Scott Meyer
Greg Silver
Diane Sykes
Todd Van Rysselberghe
MBA Criteria for Judicial Applicants
The committee shall use the following criteria, each of which shall receive
equal weight, for evaluating candidates for permanent or pro tem judicial
positions:
A. Integrity and character;
B. Judgment and intellectual capacity;
C. Experience including, but not limited to, trial experience;
D. Industry and diligence;
E. Judicial temperament, including whether the candidate would be courteous and
considerate of counsel, parties, witnesses and jurors and whether the candidate
is even tempered;
F. Professional ability and knowledge of the law;
G. Non-discriminatory attitude and behavior regarding, but not limited to,
race, ethnic origin, gender, age, disability and sexual orientation;
H. Contributions the candidate would make to the quality, character and diverse
composition of the judiciary. The term "diverse" refers to a protected class
and socio-economic background. It should carry equal, but not elevated, weight
when deciding which candidates should be deemed the highly qualified
applicants;
I. General reputation in the community;
J. Civic and community activities;
K. Any other relevant facts that affect the applicant's ability to serve
competently in a judicial capacity.
These criteria were developed from source materials, including those from
the American Judicature Society.
