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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Medford police: Man killed in shooting on Iowa Street ... Three Democrats, two Republicans vie for Oregon secretary of state job ... Judge candidates spar over effectiveness of drug court ... Medford police: Man killed in shooting on Iowa Street ... Three Democrats, two Republicans vie for Oregon secretary of state job ... Judge candidates spar over effectiveness of drug court ... OUR VIEW Our View: Crain, Charter deserve re-election to judicial seats Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 30, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Apr. 30, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Two Jackson County judges — Circuit Judge Patricia Crain and Justice of the Peace Joe Charter — face challengers in the May 17 election. Both incumbents have performed well, and we see no compelling reason to replace either one. Crain, a Phoenix High School graduate, practiced law for 20 years before Gov. John Kitzhaber appointed her to the court in 1997. She has specialized in juvenile court and, the county's Adult Drug Court, which offers offenders the chance to complete a rigorous drug treatment program rather than do prison time. She shares drug court duties with two other judges, Benjamin Bloom and Lisa Greif. Crain specialized in family law in her private practice, and that experience has influenced her work on the bench. The county's treatment court system began with a dependency drug court designed to offer parents with drug problems a way to address their drug use and avoid losing their children to the state. It now includes Adult Drug Court, Community Family Court and Recovery Opportunity Court. Crain's opponent, Deputy District Attorney David Orr, criticizes the drug court, saying it accepts too many offenders who should serve prison time. Crain notes that drug court is harder to complete than probation or prison, and the recidivism rate for those who graduate drug court is significantly lower than those who serve prison terms. Those who don't graduate from drug court must serve their original sentence, whether that is prison or probation. Orr's criticism does not change our opinion that drug court is an important part of the justice system and not only helps offenders turn their lives around but also saves tax dollars by keeping people out of prison. Orr also is a critic of the practice of judges retiring in mid-term so the governor appoints their successor. That's a legitimate criticism of the system, but it's not a reason to replace any given judge. Crain was appointed, but has stood for election since. She points out that four of the current judges won their seats on the bench in contested elections. Justice of the Peace Joe Charter, first elected in 2004, handles traffic offenses and other violations for the Jackson County Justice Court, which is funded by traffic fines. The Justice Court relieves pressure on the Circuit Court by handling traffic offenses for the county and ordinance violations for some of the smaller cities. Charter has served ably, has been a leader in the state and local legal community and has been an advocate for the county's interest in maintaining a less expensive alternative to Circuit Court. He defended the court's revenue stream when the state wanted to take a larger share of traffic fines. Charter's challenger, Gold Hill attorney Melissa Williams, says it's time for a change, but offers little criticism of Charter and has run a low-profile campaign. We recommend voters retain Crain and Charter. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 30, 2016 at 12:01 AM » 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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