U.S. Magistrate Judge John (“Jack”) Cooney (1932 – 2026)
By Joselyn Baez Urena (Intern, Hon. Stacie F. Beckerman) Retired U.S. Magistrate Judge John “Jack” Cooney passed away on January 19, 2026, at his home in Medford, Oregon, just days before his ninety-fourth birthday. Judge Cooney served as a part-time magistrate judge in the U.S. District Court’s Medford Division from 1989 until 1993 (while continuing his local private law practice with Donald K. Denman), and as a full-time magistrate judge from 1993 until he retired from full-time service in 2007. He was the District of Oregon’s first magistrate judge to serve in Medford. Judge Cooney’s successor, U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Clarke, recalls Judge Cooney fondly “as a smart and…
Senate Confirms Judge Mustafa T. Kasubhai Article III Appointment
By David Fauria The US Senate voted to confirm Judge Mustafa Taher Kasubhai to a lifetime appointment as a District Judge in the US District Court for the District of Oregon on November 19, 2024. President Joe Biden nominated Judge Kasubhai for the seat in September 2023 in anticipation of Judge Ann Aiken assuming senior status at the end of that year. Judge Kasubhai had his nomination hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in early October 2023. Judge Kasubhai’s nomination remained pending when the First Session of the 118th Congress adjourned in January 2024 and was returned to President Biden, who renominated Judge Kasubhai that same month. He was…
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…
On Liberty, During a Pandemic
By U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacie F. Beckerman I enter the courtroom and sit behind the bench in silence, without the ceremonial “all rise.” Instead of greeting the defendant, defense lawyer, prosecutor, and a small crowd of onlookers in the gallery, I sit alone and turn on my computer. On the monitor, the split-screen captures video feeds from all over the state: an individual in custody in federal prison, a defense lawyer sitting at his kitchen table, the prosecutor sitting in her home office, a court reporter, an interpreter, and me, seated and robed at my courtroom bench, positioned in front of our federal court seal. Court is in session. Thanks to…
The Investiture of U.S. Magistrate Judge Mustafa Taher Kasubhai
By U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacie F. Beckerman On December 5, 2019, the Wayne L. Morse U.S. Courthouse in Eugene filled with friends, family members, and colleagues to welcome U.S. Magistrate Judge Mustafa Taher Kasubhai to the District of Oregon federal bench at his formal investiture ceremony. Jackie Klein, Judge Kasubhai’s courtroom deputy, opened court and U.S. District Judge Michael J. McShane welcomed the crowd. The jury box overflowed with judges from the federal bench, as well as the Oregon Supreme Court, Oregon Court of Appeals, Lane County Circuit Court, and Multnomah County Circuit Court. Several distinguished speakers, with whom Judge Kasubhai has crossed paths throughout his legal career, paid…