Letter: Williams should explain failure to contest DA’s disqualification

Published 4:00 am Tuesday, April 16, 2024

The Reelect Wes Williams for Judge campaign has an elephant in the room: the 31-page memo from Union County District Attorney Kelsie McDaniel disqualifying Judge Williams from most criminal and civil cases. Her memo presents in detail the conduct and rulings justifying his disqualification. However, there has been no point-by-point refuting of the memo made public by Judge Williams. A letter from Anne Morrison attempting to refute is essentially one page, vague and confusing.

If the McDaniel memo is accurate, then Judge Williams has no business being on the bench. So, are the statements by McDaniel true? Are they all false? Some of them? No one in the Williams campaign seems to know. Or is willing to publicly refute them.

One of the supporting letters in the testimony regarding Senate Bill 807 says that blanket disqualifications are “truly a problem.” Really? There are 179 circuit court judges across 27 districts in Oregon. There are, wait for it, three long-term blanket disqualifications (besides Judge Williams) including one where the judge retired in 2021. The letter implies that there are numerous other blanket disqualifications out there. Apparently they are hiding somewhere. Which judges? Name them.

It is clear that disqualification of judges is extremely rare, and taken very seriously by the DAs proposing them. After all, according to Martin Birnbaum, “Lawyers aren’t angels.” And isn’t Judge Williams a lawyer? Maybe Birnbaum thinks being elected as a judge confers a harp and halo.

It should be noted that the services of Judge Williams are not wanted in two neighboring circuits. And there is no coherent explanation for Judge Williams’ failure to contest his disqualification (provided for in Senate Bill 807, effective Jan. 1, 2024) until after the election.

McDaniel’s memo is bad enough, when considering the morale and workload effects, and the reputation of the court. But there is also a public safety issue. Giving “frequent fliers” endless chances puts the community at risk. Judge Williams can’t seem to take his defense attorney hat off and be fair and impartial, as is required of judges.

Stephen Boe

La Grande

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