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County's lawyers weigh choices for judgeship The bar poll will be one factor Kitzhaber considers when replacing Ross Davis By DANI DODGE Mail Tribune Of the four attorneys who applied for an appointment to Jackson County Circuit Court, Medford attorney Douglas Richmond came out on top in a poll of local attorneys. State Rep. Rob Patridge, R-Medford, came out on the bottom. Former public defender Lorenzo Mejia was second, and Jackson County Bar President Joe Charter, third. Gov. John Kitzhaber will appoint the new circuit court judge to replace Ross Davis, who retires May 31. Kitzhaber's legal counsel, Danny Santos, said the bar poll "is clearly a factor that we take into consideration. It is weighed by the governor and our office, but it isn't the only factor in consideration." Santos said that when the governor makes his appointment, he also considers the candidates' "judicial demeanor," community involvement, legal experience, and the needs of the court. The bar "preference poll" was released Tuesday. It asked the 278 active attorneys in Jackson County to vote for who would make the best judge. Carol Guile, the Oregon State Bar member services specialist, said 190 attorneys voted in the poll. "Sixty-eight percent is very good," Guile said. "It's one of the highest percentages I've seen. "It's nice to see the lawyers care and take the time to vote for these things." Guile said in larger counties the typical response to a bar poll can be only 33 percent. Smaller counties usually have higher response rates. "They seem to really care who will be their next judge because most of them will eventually stand before him or her," Guile said. "Apparently most lawyers in Jackson County think Douglas Richmond would be best to serve." Richmond earned 77 votes; Mejia, 54; Charter, 35; and Patridge, 24. Richmond, 52, is a civil litigator with the firm Kellington, Krack, Richmond and Sutton. He's been practicing in Jackson County since 1977. He's been a member of the Jackson County Circuit Court Arbitration Panel since 1985 and a Jackson Circuit Court judge pro tem in small claims court since 1999. He has been board member with the Rogue Valley Family YMCA and OnTrack. "I arrived at the point where I realized (being a judge) is something I like to do," Richmond said. "And think I would do a good job for Jackson County." Richmond said he has no intention of applying for the other Circuit Court judgeship opening up in Jackson County. The Legislature created a new Circuit Court position that will be on the May 21 primary ballot. Candidates for that elected position must file with the secretary of state by March 12. "I have no experience in the political process and election process," Richmond said. "Being a neophyte in that, I decided I would try for the appointed position." Whoever is appointed to Davis' seat, though, doesn't avoid the election process. The appointed judge will run as an incumbent in November. Mejia, who came out second in the poll, said strategically it seemed better to him to apply for the appointed position and then defend that seat as an incumbent than run for a wide open seat. Mejia, 48, has served on the board of directors for La Clinica Del Valle, and the Center for Nonprofit Legal Services Inc. Mejia left the public defenders' office in September after 13 years. "So many people told me ... they thought I'd be a good judge and go for it ... I decided to wait and see what happened with (the appointment) before going to the expense of opening a private practice," Mejia said. So far, the only people to file for the open seat in the primary are Bill Purdy and Charter. "Initially I filed for the election back in November and initially it was my intention to just go for election," Charter said. "But when the Legislature started meeting on the budget and there was some talk about not funding the new position then at the last minute I put my name in for the appointment." Charter, 44, said the county is fortunate to have so many good candidates in the mix. "It looks like the guys who have been around longer came out on top (in the poll)," Charter said. "That may be a factor." Charter has been practicing in Jackson County since 1991. His practice, Charter & Associates, emphasizes litigation in family, employment, trade practices, personal injury and construction law. He's served on the city of Medford's Planning Commission and the Charter Review Committee, Medford School District Budget Committee and the Ashland Forest Lands Commission. Patridge, who came in fourth in the poll, could not be reached for comment. The 33-year-old legislator is general counsel for Pacific Retirement Services Inc., managing legal affairs for the nonprofit with more than 30 corporations in three states including Medford's Rogue Valley Manor. He served as a Jackson County deputy district attorney from 1995 to 1998. He served on the Medford City Council before being elected to state representative in 1999. His volunteer activities include being a board member of Southern Oregon Drug Awareness and Boy Scouts of America, Crater Lake Council. Reach reporter Dani Dodge at 776-4471, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.