Oregon Supreme Court justice vacancy (February 2023)
| Oregon Supreme Court |
|---|
 |
| Nelson vacancy |
| Date: February 23, 2023 |
| Status: Seat filled |
| Nomination |
| Nominee: Aruna Masih |
| Date: August 16, 2023 |
Governor Tina Kotek (D) appointed Aruna Masih to the Oregon Supreme Court. Justice Adrienne Nelson resigned after she was elevated to the U.S. District Court of Oregon on February 23, 2023. Masih was Governor Kotek's (D) first nominee to the seven-member supreme court.
In Oregon, state supreme court justices are elected in nonpartisan elections. There are 13 states that use this selection method. To read more about the nonpartisan election of judges, click here. If an interim vacancy occurs, the governor appoints a candidate to serve until the following general election. The next primary election was scheduled on May 21, 2024, with a general election scheduled on November 5, 2024. Masih will have the opportunity to run for a full term.
Ballotpedia has compiled the following resources on the process to fill the Oregon Supreme Court vacancy:
- An overview of the appointee.
- An overview of the selection process.
- An overview of the court following the vacancy.
- An overview of the justice who left office.
- A list of other state supreme court appointments in 2023.
The appointee
- See also: Aruna Masih
On August 16, 2023, Governor Tina Kotek appointed Aruna Masih to serve the remainder of Nelson's unexpired term.[1] Her seat was up for election in May 2024.
The selection process
- See also: Judicial selection in Oregon
In Oregon, state supreme court justices are elected in nonpartisan elections. There are 13 states that use this selection method. To read more about the nonpartisan election of judges, click here.
Makeup of the court
- See also: Oregon Supreme Court
Justices
Following Nelson's elevation, the Oregon Supreme Court included the following members:
| ■ Stephen K. Bushong | Appointed by Gov. Kate Brown (D) in 2022 | |
| ■ Rebecca Duncan | Appointed by Gov. Kate Brown (D) in 2017, and elected in 2018 | |
| ■ Meagan A. Flynn | Appointed by Gov. Kate Brown (D) in 2017, and elected in 2018 | |
| ■ Chris Garrett | Appointed by Gov. Kate Brown (D) in 2018, and elected in 2020 | |
| ■ Roger J. DeHoog | Appointed by Gov. Kate Brown (D) in 2022, and elected in 2022 | |
| ■ Bronson James | Appointed by Gov. Kate Brown (D) in 2022 |
About the court
Founded in 1859, the Oregon Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort and has seven judgeships. The current chief of the court is Meagan A. Flynn.
As of September 2023, all seven judges on the court were appointed by a Democratic governor.
The Oregon Supreme Court meets in the Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon.[2]
About Justice Nelson
- See also: Adrienne Nelson
Education
Nelson received a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and English, summa cum laude, from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1989 and a J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law in 1993.[3][4]
Professional career
- 2023-present: Judge, United States District Court for the District of Oregon
- 2018-2023: Justice, Oregon Supreme Court
- 2006-2018: Judge, Multnomah County Circuit Court, Oregon
- 2004-2006: Senior attorney, Portland State University
- 2004-2006: Private practice, Bennett, Hartman, Morris & Kaplan
- 1996-1999: Public defender, Multnomah Defenders, Inc.[5]
Other state supreme court appointments in 2023
- See also: State supreme court vacancies, 2023
The following table lists vacancies on state supreme courts that opened in 2023. Click the link under the Court column for a particular vacancy for more information on that vacancy.
Click here for vacancies that opened in 2022.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ State of Oregon Newsroom, "Governor Kotek Appoints Aruna Masih to Oregon Supreme Court," accessed September 27, 2023
- ↑ Oregon Judicial Branch, "Oregon Supreme Court," accessed September 1, 2021
- ↑ Oregon Secretary of State Candidate Information for Adrienne Nelson
- ↑ University of Oregon School of Law, "The Honorable Adrienne Nelson to Deliver Oregon Law Commencement Address on May 19, 2018," accessed July 1, 2021
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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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
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