Kotek seeks applicants for Union, Wallowa circuit court vacancy

Governor Tina Kotek opened applications for a Union and Wallowa County Circuit Court vacancy on July 20, setting up a gubernatorial appointment to replace Judge Thomas B. Powers. The seat serves Oregon’s 10th Judicial District, and the opening lands in a part of eastern Oregon where one judge can shape how fast the courts move.

That matters because circuit court is where many of the region’s most important day-to-day legal cases are heard. In Union and Wallowa counties, the court handles criminal matters, civil disputes, family law, juvenile cases, probate issues and other proceedings that can affect a person’s home, safety, business and family life.

In La Grande and other communities across the two counties, even a single vacancy can ripple through the calendar. Hearings may take longer to set, cases can sit longer between court dates and residents may have to travel farther or wait longer for time in front of a judge. In rural counties, where the pool of lawyers and judicial candidates is smaller, that can make the timing of an appointment especially important.

The Oregon Judicial Department lists the Union and Wallowa County Circuit Court opening on its judicial vacancies page. The state’s vacancy notice says the seat was created by the upcoming retirement of Thomas B. Powers, making this a replacement for an existing judge rather than a newly created position.

Kotek’s decision to seek applicants now puts the process in motion for the 10th Judicial District, which covers both counties. The next judge will take part in the routine but consequential work that keeps the district functioning, from criminal cases and custody disputes to property fights and probate matters. For residents who rely on the circuit court to resolve those issues close to home, the appointment will determine how quickly that work can proceed across eastern Oregon.