Document text
http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend October 13, 2006 Two vie for judge seat Lisa Greif and Ron Grensky will square off this election for a new Jackson County Circuit Court judgeship; both say they're just right for the job, but disagree on the experience it will take By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune Both candidates for a new Jackson County Circuit Court judgeship champion experience but disagree on the type needed. Medford attorney Ron Grensky, 52, cites his 26-year legal career and tenure as a judge pro tem as the overriding factors voters should consider in the race for Circuit Court judge position 9. Grensky said he also doesn't downplay his stint as a Republican state senator between 1989 and 1992. "You have to have a lot of water under the bridge to be an effective judge," he said. But his opponent Lisa Greif, 33, said she has "the right experience for the job," which Circuit Court officials have said will comprise primarily a criminal case load. "I would just be able to hit the ground running in a criminal position," said Greif, who has worked as a Medford criminal defense attorney since 1998. Advertisement The central issue in her campaign, Greif said, is addressing the community's methamphetamine scourge, which has been blamed for overburdening police, social services, hospitals and the courts. "It really stretches to all faces of the community, and the courts need to take an active role in that," Greif said. Oregon legislators funded the new judgeship last year to encourage the creation of a drug court and to alleviate the county's high ratio of cases per judge. Under the drug court model, offenders may be diverted from the standard criminal process and directed toward treatment and intensive monitoring to ensure they won't re-offend. Greif and Grensky both said they support the program, which began earlier this year. Meth's worst consequences, Greif said, are for the community's children. Specializing in juvenile defense and counsel for court-protected children, Greif said she has seen addicts getting younger: 13- and 14-year-olds are not unusual. Most children who are wards of the court have meth-addicted parents and often suffer abuse, "extreme neglect" and physical ailments, Greif said. "They're damaged. They're damaged!" she said. Meth, Grensky said, is a "big cornerstone" of his campaign, as well. "Can I make a difference there?" Grensky asked. "You bet! I have zero tolerance for drugs." But the new judge isn't just going to sit on meth cases, Grensky said, noting that he's practiced in more areas of the law than Greif. He has also worked as a judge pro tem in Josephine County. Both candidates have proposed ways to make Circuit Court function more efficiently, including mandatory settlement conferences in civil cases. Grensky said he is in favor of criminal settlement conferences, which would prohibit additional negotiating on the day of trial and needlessly summoning dozens of jurors. Greif said she would like to implement a program to collect outstanding court restitution that would incorporate both incentives and sanctions. Greif has the endorsement of sitting Circuit Court judges Patricia Crain, Lorenzo Mejia, Bill Purdy and Rebecca Orf, in addition to numerous county deputy district attorneys. Grensky is endorsed by former Circuit Court judges Mitchell Karaman and Loren Sawyer and former Josephine County Judge Gerald Neufeld, among others. Grensky edged Greif in an Oregon State Bar Association preference poll released last week. About 50 percent of local attorneys who voted preferred Grensky, compared with 47 percent for Greif. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487. Ron Grensky Age: 52 Residence: Jacksonville Employment: Attorney Education: Bachelor of science in political science, University of Oregon; doctor of jurisprudence, University of Oregon School of Law. Experience: Local attorney since 1980; judge pro-tem, District Court and Circuit Court in Jackson and Josephine counties; Oregon senator, 1989-1992 (served on Judiciary Committee, Crime and Corrections Subcommittee, Education Committee, Labor Committee); court arbitrator; mediator; business law instructor, Rogue Community College; Rogue Valley Council of Governments Senior Advisory Council. Top three priorities if elected: 1. With the loss of productivity, rise in crime and the destruction of lives and families that comes with methamphetamine addiction, I am compelled to use my judiciary experience to work toward ensuring a healthier community, including visiting local classrooms to speak with students about the dangers of this destructive drug. 2. It is my priority to utilize my extensive career experience as an attorney, arbitrator, mediator, state senator and judge pro-tem in Jackson and Josephine county district and circuit courts to be an effective judge from the moment I take the position and join our excellent judges currently serving. 3. I plan to use my experience in court arbitration and mediation to provide earlier resolution of cases. Litigation is a difficult time for people financially and emotionally, and if a case can be resolved earlier in the process, it is a much more efficient and sensible use of judicial resources. Lisa C. Greif Age: 33 Residence: Medford Employment: Senior attorney at Southern Oregon Public Defender Inc., Medford Education: Doctor of jurisprudence, University of Oregon School of Law. Experience: Represented thousands of indigent clients in criminal and juvenile cases in eight years at the public defender's office; conducted numerous judge and jury trials in Jackson County; currently serve as misdemeanor attorney supervisor and trainer and the senior attorney in charge of our juvenile division; volunteer with numerous youth and veterans organizations; past president of the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association; president-elect of the Jackson County Bar Association; past member of the Oregon Women Lawyers Board of Directors; member of the State Criminal Justice Advisory Committee; treasurer for Rogue Women Lawyers; member of the Jackson County Family Law Advisory Committee; Medford Rogue Rotary Club member. Top three priorities if elected: 1. We are seeing the long-term benefits of Drug Court and Family Court in Jackson County. I would love to see other specialty courts, such as those dealing with mental illness and domestic violence issues. If elected, I would enthusiastically support these comprehensive programs that reduce recidivism and addiction. 2. Establishing a restitution court or restitution monitoring program would help recoup the millions of dollars in unpaid fees and fines that Jackson County is forced to absorb each year. As a judge, I would like to help develop and/or oversee this type of program. 3. Settlement conferences allow the parties, their attorneys and the court to resolve disputes prior to the commencement of trial. I support increasing the frequency of these conferences and also exploring the idea of creating a supplemental local court rule to make them mandatory in certain types of cases. Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Windermere Van Vleet Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Texas Electric Choice Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com