Multnomah

From Courtroom to Bench: Multnomah County Leader Jeff Auxier Elected as Circuit Judge in a Competitive Five-Way Race

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Portland, Oregon – After a competitive election, Multnomah County’s own Senior Deputy District Attorney Jeff Auxier is set to adorn the bench as a judge, following a decisive victory in a recent five-candidate race for a judicial seat. Election results disclose that Auxier captured 42% of the vote, leading the race. Beginning his career in law as a prosecutor in Multnomah County in 2008, Auxier dedicated a decade of service before assuming the role of District Attorney in Columbia County. He served two terms there before resigning in 2023 to helm the domestic violence unit … Read more

Multnomah County DA Implements New Jury Selection Rule to Combat Racial Bias in Misdemeanor Trials

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PORTLAND, Ore. — In a significant shift in courtroom policy, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt has announced plans to eliminate the use of peremptory challenges by prosecutors in misdemeanor trials. Citing concerns over racial and ethnic exclusion in jury selection, Schmidt expressed that this change aims to foster a more equitable legal process. Peremptory challenges allow both prosecutors and defense attorneys to dismiss potential jurors without stating a cause, often used to remove jurors deemed as having implicit biases. Historically, this practice has been critiqued for allowing subjective dismissals that could contribute to racial … Read more