Eric Butterfield
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2023
Eric Butterfield is the Position 4 circuit court judge for the 20th Judicial District in Oregon, serving the Washington County Circuit Court. He was appointed to the court by Governor Ted Kulongoski to fill a vacant seat in 2010.[1]
Butterfield won re-election without opposition in the primary election on May 17, 2016. His current term expires on January 2, 2023.
Biography
Butterfield received his B.A. from the University of Washington in Seattle in 1988 and his J.D. from Willamette University College of Law in Salem in 1991.[2][3][4]
Career
- 2010–Present: Judge, Washington County Circuit Court in Hillsboro, Oregon
- 1998–2010: Attorney and chief attorney, Metropolitan public defender for Hillsboro, Oregon
- 1997: Assistant federal public defender in Mongmong, Guam
- 1993–1996: Trial attorney with Baumann & Hull in Agana, Guam
- 1992: Associate attorney with the Law Office of Mark DeLapp[2][3][4]
Elections
2016
| Oregon 20th Judicial District, Position 4, Primary Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Eric Butterfield Incumbent (unopposed) |
98.84% | 61,716 |
| Write-in votes | 1.16% | 726 |
| Total Votes | 62,442 | |
| Source: Oregon Secretary of State, "May 17, 2016 Primary Election : Unofficial Election Results," accessed May 18, 2016 | ||
Selection method
- See also: Nonpartisan election of judges
Judges of the Oregon Supreme Court, Oregon Court of Appeals and Oregon Circuit Courts are all selected in an identical manner. They are chosen in nonpartisan elections to serve six-year terms, after which they must run for re-election if they wish to continue serving.[5]
The chief judges of the circuit courts are appointed by the chief justice of the state supreme court to serve a two-year term.[5]
Qualifications
To serve on the circuit court, a judge must be:[5]
- a U.S. citizen;
- a state resident for at least three years;
- a resident of his or her circuit for at least one year;
- a state bar member; and
- under the age of 75.
2010
- See also: Oregon judicial elections, 2010
Butterfield was up for election in 2010. He ran unopposed, winning with 98.16 percent of the vote.[6]
Noteworthy cases
Man who took up-skirt photos of 13-year-old acquitted (2015)
Judge Eric Butterfield, of the Washington County Circuit Court, found that a man who secretly took photos up a 13-year-old girl's skirt in Target did not break the law. "From a legal point of view, which unfortunately today is my job to enforce, he didn't do anything wrong," the judge stated.[7]
The defendant, Patrick Buono, was charged with invasion of privacy and attempted encouraging child sex abuse. However, the judge found that there was no specific Oregon law that the man had violated, since the girl's private parts were covered and she was not involved in sexual conduct. On the privacy charge, the defense noted that the privacy laws do not ban photography in public places. Butterfield called his decision "upsetting."[7]
Articles:
Recent news
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See also
External links
- Washington County Circuit Court, "Judge Eric Butterfield"
- The Committee to Elect Eric Butterfield, "Newsletter: Success for the Campaign", March 11, 2010
Footnotes
- ↑ The Oregonian "Gov. Kulongoski appoints public defender to replace retiring Washington County judge," February 18, 2010
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Oregon State Bar, "Judicial Voters Guide for Eric Butterfield," 2010
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Oregon Secretary of State, "Voters Guide for Eric Butterfield," 2010
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Multnomah Bar Association, "Eric Butterfield's profile"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Oregon," archived October 3, 2014
- ↑ Oregon Judges and the Beginning of Their New Terms
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Statesman Journal, "Oregon judge: Upskirt photos of teen at store not illegal," February 6, 2015
Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Oregon • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Oregon
State courts:
Oregon Supreme Court • Oregon Court of Appeals • Oregon Circuit Courts • Oregon Tax Court • Oregon County Courts • Oregon Justice Courts • Oregon Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Oregon • Oregon judicial elections • Judicial selection in Oregon
