Oregon Supreme Court Decisions 2024

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a defendant charged with multiple first-degree sexual offenses against a victim, J, who has an intellectual disability. The defendant did not dispute J's disability but argued that she was capable of…

Justia Opinion Summary: Yamhill County filed an in rem civil forfeiture action against a property in Yamhill, Oregon, alleging it was used to facilitate prohibited conduct. Sheryl Lynn Sublet, who claimed an interest in the property, opposed…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this criminal case, the defendant was convicted of third-degree assault under Oregon law. The incident involved the defendant injuring the victim, RR, during a confrontation where RR approached the defendant with a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the Department of Human Services (DHS) assuming dependency jurisdiction over a child, A, born prematurely with special medical needs. Both parents have cognitive disabilities, and due to concerns about…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a criminal defendant charged with domestic violence offenses who served a pretrial subpoena on Clackamas Women’s Services (CWS) to obtain records related to services provided to the alleged victim (AV).…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a plaintiff, representing the estate of a deceased individual, who sued the owners of a golf club. The plaintiff alleged that the deceased was served alcohol while visibly intoxicated, leading to a fall…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the interpretation of Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) 166.255, which makes it unlawful for a person to possess a firearm or ammunition if they have been convicted of a "qualifying misdemeanor" involving…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the interpretation of Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) 166.255, which makes it unlawful for a person to possess a firearm or ammunition if they have been convicted of a "qualifying misdemeanor" involving…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff was charged with second-degree murder and held in jail pending trial. A jury acquitted him of the murder charge but convicted him of first-degree manslaughter, resulting in a 200-month prison sentence. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a defendant who brought a loaded handgun to a crowded bar, displayed it in the palm of his hand without touching the trigger, and accidentally discharged it while putting it back in his waistband. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant faced serious felony charges and underwent two trials, both ending in mistrials. The second mistrial occurred because a courtroom clerk mistakenly gave the jury an exhibit revealing the defendant's prior…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a defendant charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUII). At trial, the arresting officer testified about administering two field sobriety tests (FSTs) to the defendant: the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was prosecuted for attacking a woman who was jogging on a sidewalk. He tackled her from behind, knocked her out, and dragged her into a ditch. The victim fought back, and the defendant fled. He was charged…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was convicted of multiple crimes after forcibly entering the victim’s apartment at night, moving her from the entryway to a bedroom and then to a bathroom, where he strangled, sodomized, and assaulted her.…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a defendant who was charged with third-degree sexual abuse for making sexual contact with a woman studying alone at a community college library. The state presented "other acts" evidence, which included…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company (Santa Fe), a New Mexico corporation that sells branded tobacco products to wholesalers, who then sell to retailers in Oregon. The primary issue is whether a federal…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a criminal defendant, Tasi Autele, who was indicted on charges of second-degree assault and strangulation. Autele retained attorneys Mackeson and Hall to represent him. However, on the day of the trial,…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves the interpretation of Oregon's "guilty except for insanity" (GEI) defense. The defendant, Erik John Meiser, was charged with multiple crimes, including aggravated murder and burglary. He did not…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a review of the Attorney General’s certified ballot title for Initiative Petition 54 (2024) (IP 54), which was challenged by the petitioners, Sandy Chung and Yvonne Garcia. IP 54, also known as the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the State of Oregon and Stephen Andrew Aranda. Aranda was charged with first-degree rape and chose to testify in his own defense. The state sought to impeach his testimony with evidence of his prior…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute between the Walton family and the Neskowin Regional Sanitary Authority over the installation of sewer lines on the Walton's property. The Waltons claimed that the installation constituted a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Carlos Alberto Quebrado, who was charged as an accomplice to second-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon. The charges stemmed from an incident where Quebrado's co-defendant fired a shotgun from…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a criminal defendant who was charged with unlawful purchase of a firearm, false information in connection with the transfer of a firearm, and attempted felon in possession of a firearm. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute over the ballot title for Legislative Referral 403 (2024) (LR 403), which was referred for voters' consideration at the upcoming November 2024 General Election. The petitioner, James…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a defendant who was found guilty of driving under the influence of intoxicants. After his conviction, the defendant fled the state, delaying his sentencing and the entry of a judgment of conviction for…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, Terri Lee Brown, was incarcerated due to an order from Governor Tina Kotek that revoked a previous conditional commutation of one of Brown's sentences. Brown had received the commutation in December 2020…

Justia Opinion Summary: HotChalk, LLC filed a lawsuit against the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and 22 other defendants, alleging breach of contract and fraud in relation to the closure of Concordia University - Portland. HotChalk claimed that…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute over whether a hospital that supplies and administers a drug that causes harm can be considered a "seller" under Oregon's strict product liability statute, ORS 30.920(1). The plaintiffs, Brown…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute over the approval of a site certificate for the construction of a wind energy facility in Umatilla County, Oregon. The Energy Facility Siting Council granted the certificate to Nolin Hills…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Raji Afife Azar, who was charged with three counts of "computer crime" under ORS 164.377(2)(c) for selling items on eBay that he believed to be stolen. The state argued that by selling stolen…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the Supreme Court of the State of Oregon, the case involved a mother contesting the juvenile court's decision concerning the permanency plan for her child, A. In July 2019, A was made a ward of the court and placed in…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of the State of Oregon reviewed a case involving a defendant convicted of two domestic violence offenses, who appealed his convictions on the grounds that the trial court had erred in refusing to…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this Oregon Supreme Court case, the appellant Matthew Dwight Thompson challenged his death sentence, arguing that it was unconstitutional due to changes in the law under Senate Bill (SB) 1013. Thompson also argued…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a case before the Supreme Court of the State of Oregon, the plaintiffs, Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s London, sued TNA NA Manufacturing, Inc. and Food Design, Inc., claiming negligence and product liability for a…

Justia Opinion Summary: A plaintiff, Robert Trebelhorn, suffered a serious knee injury at his apartment complex when a section of an elevated walkway collapsed due to deterioration. The defendants, Prime Wimbledon SPE, LLC, and Prime…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2022, Oregon voters approved Ballot Measure 113, amending the state constitution to disqualify any state legislator who accumulates 10 or more unexcused absences during a legislative session from holding office "for…