Occupation: Judge/ Attorney/Arbitrator
Occupational Background: Jackson County Justice of the Peace; Circuit Court Judge Pro Tem, Jackson County Bar President; Oregon State Bar House of Delegates; American Judges' Association Member
Educational Background: University of Michigan; University of California; National Judicial College and State Courts judge training
Prior Governmental Experience: Medford Planning Commission and Charter Review Committee; Ashland Forest Lands Commission
Personal: Age: 50; Children: Mimi; Malia; Community Involvement: Mediation Works Board; Community theater; Ashland Rotary Club
EXPERIENCED:
- 3+ years as County Justice of Peace, hearing hundreds of trials and thousands of arraignments (14,000+ cases per year)
- Traffic fatalities have fallen by two-thirds since the Justice Court and Sheriff's Traffic Team were established
- Presided over Circuit Court criminal cases as a Judge Pro Tem
- Over 100 hours of judicial training, including State Courts Circuit Judge training
- 23 years general practice of law
- Former President, Jackson County Bar
INDEPENDENT:
- Judges should be accountable to the law and the Constitution, not politicians and special interest groups.
- Over $120,000 was spent by candidates in the last Circuit Court Judge campaign (2006).
- Most contributions come from lawyers who later appear before the same Judges.
- Most Americans (71%) believe that campaign contributions influence Judges' decisions. (www.Justiceatstake.org)
- Judge Charter will not accept contributions from lawyers and those who frequently appear in court, and expects to limit campaign expenditures to $2,000.
RESPECTS INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS:
- Judge Charter has experience protecting individual rights and applying the law
- Judge Charter protects the constitutional rights of citizens against government intrusion
- He believes that all citizens deserve equal dignity and respect in court and that
- Offenders should be held accountable to keep our communities safe
"Charter has been busy since taking office . . .. [T]he laws being enforced . . . make the county a safer place to live and work." -Medford Mail Tribune Editorial, 11/29/05
www.JudgeJoeCharter.Com
(This information furnished by Charter for Circuit Court Committee.)