The Judicial Candidates for the 99%: Baldwin and Egan

And the Albany Democrat-Herald has the word on Judge Jim Egan:

Editorial: Jim Egan for appeals court

April 27, 2012 9:00 am  

     To serve on the Oregon Court of Appeals, it helps to be a smart lawyer. But you don’t have to be a Portland lawyer. Which is why Linn County Circuit Judge Jim Egan would be a great addition to the court.

 

     The Democrat-Herald has had the chance to talk with all three candidates for Position 6 on the Court of Appeals: Egan, who of course has been a known quantity around the mid-valley for years, as well as Tim Volpert, partner in a big Portland law firm, and Allen J. Arlow, an administrative law judge for the Oregon Public Utility Commission. . . .

       What sets Egan apart is his background. Unlike Arlow and to some extent Volpert, he’s not been working much of his life in corporate or government law. Instead he has represented ordinary Oregonians with problems as a trial lawyer.

     Egan also served in the Marine Corps, then in the Marine Corps Reserve. As an officer with the Army Reserve, he again served his country in Kuwait a few years ago.

     He’s familiar with the nitty-gritty problems of Oregon not just from his law practice but also from first-hand experience on the Linn County Planning Commission and the board of the Tangent Rural Fire Department.

     Since 2010 he’s handled cases as a Linn County circuit judge. He demonstrated that he wastes no time by quickly issuing a lengthy written opinion in a recent case involving public records and the responsibilities of city councils.

     In a statewide preference poll of lawyers, Volpert came in first with 688 votes. But Egan, even though he’s not from Portland where most of the lawyers are, still got 569 votes. That speaks well of the respect he has earned among people in his profession.

     Egan for Position 6 on the Court of Appeals.