To the editor:
Gov. Kate Brown made a wise and thoughtful decision in appointing Marcia Buckley to the Lincoln County circuit judge position vacated by the retirement of Paulette Sanders.
Since assuming office in January, Judge Buckley has worked hard to eliminate the backlog in civil and family law cases, which accumulated during the terms of the other judges who now oppose her candidacy. People who have sought justice in cases filed many years ago have finally received efficient and just resolution through Judge Buckley’s work. She works long hours and has never missed a day despite coronavirus limitations.
The governor chose Marcia Buckley from a group of several candidates after careful consideration, research and the counsel of a diverse committee, not simply a handful of courthouse insiders. The governor found Marcia Buckley “well suited to administer equal justice under our laws,” and she was absolutely right.
Judge Buckley’s opponent was not selected for the position but was chosen as the referee/pro tem judge by the current presiding judge. Amanda Benjamin’s campaign against Marcia Buckley is needlessly divisive, and her supporters’ false personal attacks on Buckley demean the office she seeks.
In contrast to Marcia Buckley’s nearly 30 years in practice, her opponent has been a member of the bar for only seven years. She has limited experience both in our community and in bar association service. Her background is as a prosecutor, and she has never run her own office. She may be doing excellent work in the referee position; but the knowledge gained from diverse experiences and the wisdom achieved through decades of work on all sides of legal disputes offers critical balance to a jurist who holds the future of widely varied litigants before her. Marcia Buckley has that knowledge and that wisdom.
Judge Buckley is conscientious, fair, hard working and compassionate. She exhibits the highest standards of ethical conduct, and her professionalism is exemplary. She brings passion, dignity and wholehearted commitment to the bench. Buckley has experience both as a civil practitioner and as a prosecutor. She understands the need to balance safety with safeguards; due process with due diligence; community concerns with common sense. Not only has she served our county well in her decades practicing law, but also she has devoted countless energies to community service: she has been the president of the local Rotary chapter, serves as president of the Lincoln County Bar Association, and is a member of the Lincoln County Foundation, among other activities. She has received awards and served on numerous committees of the Oregon State Bar.
Judge Buckley’s opponent appears to be doing well in her current position, but she has lived only a few years in our community. If she continues as the referee, she will be eligible to seek a full judicial appointment next year when Judge Thomas Branford is required to retire.
The voters should value the strong community ties and decades of professional service offered by Judge Marcia Buckley and retain her for a full term as circuit court judge.
— Susan E. Reese, Newport