Judge Owen Panner and the Warm Springs Tribe
by Dennis C. Karnopp Dennis C. Karnopp is a retired partner in the Karnopp Petersen law firm, which is the successor to the firm founded by Owen Panner in 1950. From 1967 until his retirement in 2017, Mr. Karnopp worked with and succeeded Judge Panner as Warm Springs Tribal Attorney The late Judge Owen Panner’s career in private practice is best known for his long and successful representation of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon. His relationship with the Tribe began shortly after he moved to Bend from Oklahoma in 1949. Before Owen could take the Oregon bar and practice law, he was a car salesman,…
From Whizbang to the Federal Bench and the “Best Saddle in the Arena”: Celebrating the Remarkable Life of Judge Owen M. Panner (July 28,1924– December 20, 2018)
By U.S. Senior District Judge Anna J. Brown and U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark D. Clarke The remarkable life of U.S. Senior District Judge Owen Murphy Panner was celebrated on June 1, 2019, at the Panners’ horse arena in Medford, Oregon, under sunny skies illuminating a verdant vineyard, lush pastures, and a snow-capped Mount McLoughlin. As guests took their seats, the District Court’s own Rick Galarneau and Houston Bolles shared their considerable talents from a flat-bed truck stage to provide musical background that Judge Panner would have loved. They opened the celebration by leading everyone in “America the Beautiful.” On behalf of Nancy Panner and all of Judge Panner’s family, U.S.…