Judge Patricia Crain keeping her seat so far - News - DailyTidings.com - Ashland, OR

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2016-05-27

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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation  |  Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED   » NEWS NOW   Michigan dean among finalists for SOU presidency       ...       Ticket availability       ...       Lake Shasta college party routinely turns wild       ...       Michigan dean among finalists for SOU presidency       ...       Ticket availability       ...       Lake Shasta college party routinely turns wild       ...           Judge Patricia Crain keeping her seat so far Comment By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune DailyTidings.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Posted May. 17, 2016 at 2:00 AM Updated May 17, 2016 at 9:57 PM By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Posted May. 17, 2016 at 2:00 AM Updated May 17, 2016 at 9:57 PM »  Social News Preliminary results point to Patricia Crain as the winner of Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Position 4, by a margin of nearly 20 percent. Initial reports show a total of 22,404 votes for Crain, at 59.67 percent, against 15,064 votes for Jackson County Deputy District Attorney David Orr, 40.12 percent. "I'm really honored with the faith and trust the public's put in me," Crain said after the first report. Crain is known for her work in Jackson County's Adult Drug Court, a rigorous alternative sentencing program requiring medium to high-risk property crime offenders to work with Crain and coordinators to attend regular court appearances, drug treatment and undergo regular drug testing. Later court-ordered requirements mandate participants write apology letters presented in court to victims and do community projects in exchange for dismissals of their felony charges. Orr, who challenged Crain in the race, had questioned drug court's effectiveness, pointing to property crime rates that continue to rise. Crain also presides over the county's similar Recovery Opportunity Court alternative sentencing program, offering medium- to high-risk offenders who have violated probation an opportunity to avoid prison for completing drug treatment and testing programs. Crain has described the programs as "turbo-probation," requiring more frequent checks than a typical probation program. Crain is also among three judges who preside over Community Family Court, and focuses on cases where child welfare became involved because of a parent's drug use. "I'm honored to continue in another term in a job which I enjoy in order to continue in these programs with which I have a passion," Crain said. Crain said she considers watching the transformation of criminals into productive members to be meaningful work. As of 8:30 p.m., Orr said he was unavailable by phone and emailed a statement: "I'm happy to see the first judicial election in Jackson County in which no candidate took campaign donations, and I commend Pat Crain for joining me in setting this example. I hope this is a permanent change, and that donation-funded judicial campaigns will become a thing of the past," Orr wrote in part. Crain said she opted not to take campaign donations as a practical matter. "I think the public understands it costs money to campaign, and in this case neither side did that." In the second half of Orr's statement, he again questioned whether Crain, 69, would serve her full six-year term. "Along with the rest of Jackson County, I will watch to see if Pat Crain follows through on her commitment to serve out her term, rather than resign so as to allow the governor to appoint a non-elected replacement," Orr wrote. Reach reporter Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MTCrimeBeat. By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune DailyTidings.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Posted May. 17, 2016 at 2:00 AM Updated May 17, 2016 at 9:57 PM » Comment or view comments   Reader Reaction »  STAY INFORMED   Email NewsLetter   Sign Up Today   Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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