A8
ELECTION 2020
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
LocalElections
Lamborn runs write-in campaign with
hopes of continuing tradition of excellence
Burns attorney says
he has experience
handling all types
of cases
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
John Lamborn has reen-
tered the race for circuit
court judge with his write-in
campaign and a goal to con-
tinue the history of excel-
lence in the courtroom.
One reason why Lam-
born is running a write-in
campaign to be judge for
Grant and Harney counties
is because Grant County
District Attorney Jim Car-
penter decided to suspend
his campaign and endorsed
Lamborn as an alternative
candidate to Rob Raschio,
Lamborn said.
Lamborn said he wants
to continue the history of
excellence that Grant and
Harney counties have come
to expect from their circuit
court judge.
“Judge Cramer did a fab-
ulous job for 22 years, and
the folks from Harney and
Grant County have come to
expect great things from the
bench,” Lamborn said.
Lamborn added that Milo
Pope, who was judge prior
to Cramer, was another
great judge with a balance
of judicial seriousness and
folksiness that was very
refreshing.
“My goal is to further
that tradition, and I think
that my qualifications for
judge put me in the position
where I can further that tra-
John Lamborn
dition of excellence,” Lam-
born said.
He has been practicing
law in the state of Oregon
for 25 years and has worked
on just about every case that
could come before a judge
in circuit court. From crim-
inal cases, adult and juve-
nile, to mental health cases
and the wide array of civil
matters, he said he has expe-
rienced it.
Lamborn has been a
member of the arbitration
board for Grant, Harney and
Malheur counties for many
years and has sat as an arbi-
trator in many cases. He is
also the pro tem justice of
the peace for Harney County
Justice Court and was chair-
man of the Harney County
Planning Commission for
eight years.
Lamborn
hopes
to
assuage doubts people may
have with a new judge and
will focus on being fair and
making decisions based on
fact and law.
Raschio looking to protect system of
justice, the Constitution and liberty
Grant and Harney coun-
Providing clear
ties deserve a judge that
directions and
focuses on facts, law, expe-
rience in the wide world and
resources are
understanding of the trauma
important
that bring people into court,
Lamborn said, and he said
By Rudy Diaz
he can provide this as judge.
Blue Mountain Eagle
“When people come to
the circuit court they have
The system of justice, the
serious matters that con-
cerns them and they want
Constitution and protecting
a fair, unbiased, intelligent
people’s liberty are import-
ant for Rob Raschio, and
and experienced look at
if elected judge in Novem-
those issues,” Lamborn said.
ber, he wants to protect
“They don’t want somebody
these items and help make
with hidden agendas or who
changes in people’s lives.
has other problems. They
Raschio said he wants
want a judge that can listen
to be the next circuit court
respectfully, understand the
judge for Grant and Harney
issue and provide a resolu-
tion in a timely fashion and
counties because he cares
is fair.”
about the communities and
L a m -
w a n t s
born said
them to be
people
safe places
CIRCUIT COURT
should vote
where peo-
ple
can
for
him
thrive. He
because
said being
he is the
a
judge
most expe-
rienced candidate, has no
is a role he can take on to
baggage and the people of
achieve that goal.
Grant and Harney counties
Raschio said it is really
can trust he will make deci-
important for a judge to
sions based on facts and on
make decisions in a manner
the law.
that follows the law and is
“Don’t be dismayed
designed to give certainty,
because my name wasn’t
which is how social stabil-
ity is gained in the legal sys-
printed on the ballot,” Lam-
born said. “If you look at my
tem. This allows the com-
munity to know a judge can
Facebook page or website,
be trusted to make good
there’s instructions on how
decisions.
to execute a write-in ballot.
“That’s the fundamen-
Write-in campaigns have
tal key to the job,” Raschio
been going on for years, and
said.
I want people to understand
A concern that people
that I have a lot of support
have in the 24th Judicial
and endorsements for this
District is a revolving door
position.”
JUDGE
Rob Raschio
and people on the criminal
side only getting their hands
slapped and not being effec-
tively managed by the court,
according to Raschio.
“When people are com-
ing back and back again,
people get tired of seeing the
same people back on proba-
tion again,” Raschio said.
“I look at it as a question
of messaging and sentenc-
ing. As a judge, my com-
mitment is that I’m going
to give clear directions to
people convicted of crimes
and provide them with the
resources that they need fol-
lowing a conviction.”
Along with giving clear
sentencing
directions,
Raschio said guiding people
through the proper resources
plays an important role after
the sentencing.
Raschio said the vast
majority of convicted people
are going to be back in com-
munities again, and it’s a rar-
ity that somebody is gone for
the rest of their lives.
“After serving a sentence
in jail, I want to make sure
that, if you’re committing
acts of violence, there are
services available that will
help you to learn how to
manage your behavior dif-
ferently,” Raschio said. “It’s
OK to say, ‘I have trauma,
and that’s why I act this
way.’ It’s not OK to perpet-
uate that trauma on to the
next generation. We have to
make a break.”
However, Raschio said
if a mistake is made a third
time, there will be signifi-
cant consequences designed
to halt the revolving door.
“I can’t prosecute crimes.
Those have to be brought
to me,” Raschio said. “But
when they’re in front of me,
I can do what I can to try
and help people make cor-
rections in their lives.”
Raschio said he hopes
people in Grant and Har-
ney counties have seen he
is working hard for them.
He said their protection and
needs would be his priority
if he becomes circuit court
judge.
“I hope I demonstrated
over the last 14 months that
I’m committed to being your
next circuit court judge,”
Raschio said. “I’ve worked
hard over the last 14 months
to introduce myself to more
people, and I’ve done that
because I think it’s import-
ant for people in small com-
munities to know who their
judge is. I want people to
feel free to give comments,
talk to me, and I am open to
people’s criticism, and I’m
willing to listen.”
John Day
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