White House Appoints U.S. Attorney Natalie Wight to Serve the District of Oregon
By Hon. Stacie F. Beckerman, U.S. Magistrate Judge On September 8, 2022, the U.S. Senate confirmed the White House’s appointment of Natalie Wight as the District of Oregon’s new U.S. Attorney. Chief U.S. District Judge Marco Hernandez administered the oath of office to Wight at the U.S. Courthouse surrounded by her colleagues. Wight replaced U.S. Attorney Scott Asphaug, who served in an acting and interim role after former U.S. Attorney Billy Williams resigned in 2021. Wight has served as an attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice since 2003. She has been an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) in the District of Oregon since 2012, working in both the Criminal…
Judge Teresa Pearson Joins the Bankruptcy Bench
On October 4, 2021, Teresa Pearson was sworn in as the newest bankruptcy judge for the District of Oregon. Judge Pearson succeeds Judge Trish M. Brown. Judge Brown swore in her successor in a short ceremony in Courtroom 2 at the Bankruptcy Court in Portland. The event was broadcast on Zoom for chambers and court employees working remotely. Judge Trish M. Brown retired on October 2 and is now on recall. Judge Pearson is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and received a Juris Doctor, with honors, from Duke University School of Law. She became a partner at Miller, Nash, Graham & Dunn LLP (formerly…
Pandemic Reflections: Looking Beyond Our Courtrooms
By Hon. Stacie F. Beckerman, U.S. Magistrate Judge In December 2019, I informed a pregnant defendant (“G”) at her arraignment that I was detaining her pending trial. She fainted. The deputy U.S. Marshal called 911, and G was rushed to the hospital. She was treated and released, and at the continued hearing, I stood my ground. However, a few months later, her baby was born suffering from complications, and I released G from custody to nurse her daughter to health while housed in a structured program. Soon G had demonstrated that she was not going to run, and I allowed her to return home to her family, but with…
Malcolm F. Marsh: A Judicial Philosophy of Kindness–Lifetime Service Award 2020
By Kelly A. Zusman The U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society is pleased to honor Judge Malcolm F. Marsh with its 2020 Lifetime Service Award. This article is based on his 2005 oral history and many conversations with Judge Marsh. He was the “baby” judge in 1987. It had been seven years since President Jimmy Carter had appointed the trio: Judges Owen Panner, Helen J. Frye, and James A. Redden. Judge Robert Belloni and Jim Burns were the senior judges, and the district of Oregon had just three U.S. Magistrate Judges at that time: William Dale, George Juba, and Michael Hogan. Judge Malcolm Marsh had been appointed just…
Open for Business, Waiting for the Flood
By Stephen Raher While the COVID-19 pandemic took most people by surprise, Oregon’s bankruptcy court was actually well-prepared for the disruptions. “We have been working on our emergency preparedness plans for years,” says Clerk of Court Charlene Hiss. “While these contingency plans are usually implemented for weather-related disruptions, they have worked just as well during the current health-related lockdown.” According to Chief Bankruptcy Judge Trish Brown, “The court focused on three goals when we revised our operations and procedures: complying with public health guidelines, remaining open for all people and businesses who need our services, and protecting our staff and customers.” Complying with stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines has…