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NEWS
Blue Mountain Eagle
Raschio
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ney’s, neighbors and judges.
A summary focused on
interviews of Cramer and
Tammy Wheeler, the trial court
administrator for the 24th Judi-
cial District.
Raschio admitted to OSP
during his interview that he
has had disputes with oppos-
ing attorneys. Both Cramer and
Wheeler concurred.
Cramer’s interview
Cramer told OSP there have
been difficulties in the past
with Raschio and both Har-
ney and Grant counties’ district
attorney’s offices.
“I did need to address issues
between attorneys when they
affected the functioning of the
court,” Cramer recently told
the Eagle. “From my perspec-
tive it ‘takes two to tango’ and
there were things that were said
that could be taken as personal
on both sides.”
Cramer stressed that this
Carpenter
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During the hearing with
the Oregon Supreme Court,
the message from the account
was presented: “Hey all! How
is it going. I am married to an
incredibly beautiful woman,
AND I get to hang out with
high school chicks all day (and
some evenings too). I have
Wheeler’s interview
was not something that rose
to the level of disqualifying
Raschio as a candidate, and
this was just an answer to a
question in the interview.
Cramer said he expressed
concerns about the gover-
nor making an appointment
before the election, because if
someone had been appointed,
it would have led to conflicts
of interest requiring fill-in
judges with a defense attorney
being appointed to the bench
months before the official elec-
tion. Cramer said that was
the reason the governor cited
when choosing not to make an
appointment.
“I do want to clarify that
there was nothing in the inter-
view that indicated Rob
Raschio was anything but
qualified for the position based
upon his legal work before
me,” Cramer said.
Cramer said he is not taking
a position in the election and
that both Raschio and opposing
candidate Grant County Dis-
trict Attorney Jim Carpenter
are qualified for the position.
Wheeler told OSP that
Raschio had been dismissive
of her, some of her court staff
and other government agen-
cies, at times talking down
to them. Wheeler said she
had to address the issues with
Raschio.
Wheeler shared that Raschio
mistakenly sent an email to the
court staff that was meant for
his staff. Wheeler said it con-
sisted of a lot of swearing and
anger toward the judge about
a ruling. Wheeler said she con-
tacted Raschio about the email,
and he told her that was how he
interacts with his staff.
Wheeler told the Eagle
that she had already discussed
everything in her interview with
Raschio and that the past con-
flicts would not prevent them
from working together if he is
elected in November.
“If he’s the guy elected and
that’s who people want on the
bench, my ultimate hope is that
he rises to the occasion, and it
will be my job to help him do
that,” Wheeler said.
been lucky with a few. It just
doesn’t get better than this.”
Carpenter testified that
he acted on a whim and had
in mind only a practical joke
when he posted the message.
The message prompted the
school to start investigating the
teacher, who denied posting
the message and denied having
sexual relations with students.
The teacher tried to dis-
cover the author of the message
through Classmates.com, but
the information was not given,
so he referred the matter to the
Oregon State Police.
Based on the information
given from Classmates.com,
OSP interviewed Carpenter,
and he admitted to sending the
message. The state brought no
criminal charges against him.
Several days after Carpen-
ter admitted to sending the
message, he apologized to the
teacher, according to court
documents.
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
Raschio told the Eagle that
he shared the same position as
Cramer, that there are times in
the throes of an adversarial pro-
cess when advocates from all
sides can say things that can be
taken as personal by both sides.
“In the case referred to, as
Judge Cramer pointed out,
‘there were things that were
said that could be taken as per-
sonal on both sides’. We all rec-
ognize that happens,” Raschio
said. “As Judge, I will leave the
role of advocate to others and
make all of my decisions based
upon the law and facts...”
He said that he has no con-
flicts with the DA’s offices any-
more than they have a problem
with defense attorneys, and he
looks forward to working with
them in his new role, if elected.
Raschio said he has respect
and admiration for the work
the court staff does on a daily
basis.
“I had heard that some peo-
ple thought I was unkind to
staff and so I went to the staff I
worked with and apologized to
them,” Raschio said.
He also let staff know that if
he offended them in any way or
if it happened again to let him
know at that moment.
Raschio said he did not
swear at or express anger
toward the judge. He said it
was a short email express-
ing frustration about a hear-
ing being set. When he real-
ized he sent an email to court
staff, he said he sent an apology
to the person for the language
and clarified that the email was
only meant for his staff. He said
he then apologized to that staff
member in person.
Other interviews in the
background check showed that
Raschio was arrested for driv-
ing under the influence of intox-
icants in 2009. He completed
a diversion program in 2011,
and the charge was dismissed,
according to court documents.
Raschio said he took imme-
diate responsibility for the inci-
dent that occurred over a decade
ago.
“I made a mistake, I am
extremely embarrassed by it,
I corrected my actions in the
diversion process, and I am
thankful we have a legal sys-
tem and process that works the
way it does to allow for due pro-
cess,” Raschio said.
Raschio has also received
several speeding violations and
almost 50 parking violations in
Multnomah County, according
to court records.
Raschio said he has received
over 150 endorsements from
people throughout Grant and
Harney counties and across the
state.
“I’m honored to have such
strong support and to have been
voted for by nearly 50% of our
communities in the Primary
Election, that’s not something I
take for granted or take lightly,”
Raschio said.
The Oregon state bar,
which licenses attorneys,
filed a complaint in 2002 for
violation of its professional
responsibility code for dis-
honesty, but the trial panel
of the disciplinary board dis-
missed the charge.
The bar sought a review
by the Oregon Supreme
Court that resulted in the pub-
lic reprimand. Two justices dis-
sented, stating that, although
the content was dishonest, the
bar’s disciplinary rules did
not “extend to that dishonest
conduct.”
“I clearly made a mistake
in 2001,” Carpenter told the
Eagle. “I took immediate mea-
sures to correct that behav-
ior and make it right with the
victim. Since then I have been
diligent with the courts, other
attorneys, and the public in
building a relationship of trust
and veracity.”
Carpenter testified to the
Supreme Court that he ceased
campaigning for the office of
district attorney at the time of
the incident to avoid further
publicity.
“That mistake has helped
me to realize that people can
change, and given me hope
that the people I deal with in
the Justice System will take the
opportunities provided to cor-
rect their behavior and move
forward successfully,” Carpen-
ter said.
She also said the information
in the interview was not meant
to slander Raschio and that the
information was meant for the
governor to use in her appoint-
ment decision. She noted one of
the answers recorded by OSP
was not completely accurate.
Raschio’s response
The Eagle/Steven Mitchell
The Eagle/Steven Mitchell
Trey Brown checks out his goat during a
4-H meeting July 26 in his front yard.
Fair
Arrest
Continued from Page A1
The Smiths’ pickup was
later discovered abandoned in
the Boise, Idaho, area after the
fire, and follow-up interviews
with witnesses indicated that
Isaac Connery took the pickup
the night of the fire, the release
states. He was indicted June
23 for unlawful use of a motor
vehicle, and a nationwide war-
rant was issued for his arrest.
During an interview, Grant
County Undersheriff Zach
Mobley learned that the Con-
nerys had dropped off two
Connery minor children at
a local campground, likely
Clyde Holliday State Park,
on the afternoon or evening
of July 17, 2018, and then
Gabrielle Connery drove Isaac
Connery to the Smith home
and dropped him off, before
returning alone to the camp-
ground to pick up the children,
according to the release.
“Isaac Connery went to the
Smith home and shot Terry,
then Sharon Smith, and set
fire to their home,” the release
states. “Then Isaac Connery
took their pickup and drove
to meet Gabrielle Connery” in
the Boise, Idaho, area.
Continued from Page A1
Nonetheless, the in-person livestock
shows will provide some familiarity for
the youth.
The students that are showing their
animals are excited to be participating.
Seventh-grader Brooke Taynton will
be showing off her pig “Pheobe” this
year.
Taynton said she likes to learn about
other animals and jumped at the oppor-
tunity to practice with goats at Brown’s
Canyon City farm on July 26.
Taynton said she always loves to help
other kids with their animals and be a
team player.
“I love animals,” she said. “I like the
responsibility, and I like working hard.”
Sierra May, an eighth-grader at Grant
Union Junior High, almost won reserve
grand champion at the Grant County Fair
when she was in the fourth grade.
May said, along with the county fair’s
Sierra May with her pig she will show at
the Grant County Fair this year.
uncertainty due to COVID-19, raising a
hog in a pen by itself has been a challenge.
She said earlier she lost one of her
pigs due to illness.
“So it’s been harder getting the pig to
eat all of its food,” she said. “Because
usually pigs do better with two or more,
like they compete with each other to eat
more food.”
She said the hog, JC, which is short
for John Cena, “doesn’t like to listen
all the time, but he does listen half the
time.”
She said her brother named the pig
after the professional wrestler, actor and
rapper and that she has since shortened
the swine’s name to “JC.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “It just felt
weird going to the fair with a pig named
John Cena.”
Initially, May had to feed JC by hand
to get him to eat more, but now, she said,
he “eats like crazy.”
Grant Union freshman Trey Brown,
who will show both a pig and a goat
this year, took reserve grand champion
last year in showmanship in the goat
category.
Trey Brown said he has been in 4-H
since the fourth grade and loves the live-
stock side of the program.
“It is just a good time to be with my
friends that have similar interests as me,”
he said.
Trey Brown said he especially likes to
teach people about goats.
“I don’t really like being in the spot-
light as much, but, yeah, I like to let peo-
ple know about goats because it is an
up-and-coming industry,” he said.
May said she likes the social side of
the 4-H events, and she has never strug-
gled to sell her pig at the fair.
She said she loves to answer ques-
tions about her pig from buyers, which
range from its name to how much it
weighs.
She said she loves animals and wants
to be a veterinarian when she grows up.
“I’m that one kid in the barns who
is always in there with my pig and ani-
mals,” she said.
Contributed photo
Back-to-School
Immunizations
School starts soon!
Make sure immunizations are on your child's
back to school list.
Due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions, the annual Adolescent Well
Child Day has been cancelled this year. Contact Strawberry
Wilderness Community Clinic at 541-575-0404 to schedule an
appointment for your child's immunizations and wellness check.
Immunizations:
SWCC has all of the vaccines on hand that school aged children would commonly receive
including HPV, Meningococcal, Tetanus (Tdap), Hep A, and seasonal Flu. Protect your child
from serious childhood diseases.
Wellness Exams:
SWCC healthcare providers highly recommend that adolescents receive a physical exam
every year. This includes a brief eye exam, body mass index calculation, a review of body
systems, a health assessment that explores nutrition, physical activity, emotional well-being,
safety, and social topics.
Sports Physicals:
A SWCC healthcare provider will complete the OSAA Physical Examination form required to
compete in Oregon High School and Middle School athletic activities. A full adolescent well
child exam is highly recommended. Don’t wait until the day before practice to make an
appointment!
S201840-1
Contributed photo
Terry and Sharon Smith went missing following a fire at their re-
mote cabin in the Laycock Creek Road area on July 17-18, 2018.
Brooke Taynton practices showing a goat
at 4-H club leader Laura Brown’s farm in
Canyon City.
S201872-1
