Judge Thomas Powers to retire, Union County court seat opens

Judge Thomas Powers’ retirement will open the Union and Wallowa County Circuit Court seat that handles criminal, civil, probate, family and juvenile matters for residents across the 10th Judicial District. Governor Tina Kotek said July 20 that she is accepting applications for the vacancy and will fill the post by appointment, putting the next judge selection in Salem rather than on the local ballot.

For Union County, the practical question is how quickly the court can keep cases moving while the bench changes hands. A circuit judge manages day-to-day scheduling, hearings and rulings that can affect everything from arraignments and trial dates to family-law disputes and probate matters, so even a routine retirement can force attorneys, law enforcement and court staff to adjust calendars and reassign work.

Powers has been a familiar figure in the local system for nearly a decade. The La Grande Observer reported on March 30, 2017 that he was named the new Union County Circuit Judge, and Oregon Judicial Department records identify him as Judge Powers. His retirement notice now closes a tenure that began in 2017 and reached into some of the county’s most serious cases.

Those cases included a September 12, 2022 ruling denying release in a fatal hit-and-run manslaughter case and an August 20, 2023 ruling that a La Grande murder defendant was fit to proceed to trial after restorative justice treatment. The decisions show the scope of the seat: one judge can shape how quickly a criminal case advances, whether a defendant remains in custody and how the court handles issues that affect victims, families and public safety.

The vacancy also carries county-government implications beyond Union County alone. The Oregon Judicial Vacancies notice ties the opening to the 10th Judicial District and to Powers’ retirement from the Union and Wallowa County Circuit Court, meaning the next judge will serve both counties. That matters in a rural district where one courtroom can cover a wide stretch of geography and where residents may already face longer waits, more travel and tighter access to hearings.

The timing comes after workload questions had already surfaced in the district. A May 4, 2024 La Grande Observer article said workload division and timely justice were key issues in a judicial race, underscoring that the court’s staffing balance had become a public concern before Powers’ departure was announced.

The next judge will inherit not only a vacant seat but also a set of expectations from both counties: keep cases moving, maintain consistency and deliver decisions in a court system where one change on the bench can ripple through the daily administration of justice.