STATE
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, February 2, 2022
A11
New law clears
juvenile records
By ALEX WITTWER
EO Media Group
LA GRANDE — A new law
passed in the 2021 legislative
session in Oregon is now tak-
ing eff ect, and will automatically
expunge juvenile arrest records
of everyone who turns 18.
Senate Bill 575, otherwise
known as the Youth Expunction
Reform Act, saw wide support
in the House, passing 54-1. It
also passed the Senate, 26-3, and
went into eff ect Sept. 25, 2021.
Under this new law, notices
will be sent to teenagers who
have records with the juve-
nile department on their 18th
birthday, notifying them of the
expunction. The new law does
not aff ect convictions, only
arrest records and other records
relating to a juvenile’s arrest.
Nor is the law retroactive
— anyone who is already 18 or
older will have to fi le a request
with the juvenile department
through existing application pro-
cesses for expungement in order
to have their record cleared.
“Choices have consequences.
Lord knows I made (mistakes)
when I was a kid that had some
pretty negative consequences,”
said Union County Sheriff Cody
Bowen. “But I don’t think they
should be held over a kid’s head.
Once they learn from their mis-
take and pay for the conse-
quences, if they turn 18 and it
goes away, I’m all for that.”
Bowen spoke from expe-
rience — in his youth, he was
cited for disorderly conduct.
A framed record of that 1993
citation hangs in his offi ce as a
reminder that people can change
course in life.
He said that most juvenile
criminal cases can be addressed
through education, structure and
consequence at the home. If the
home life of a juvenile does not
provide those elements, then the
juvenile department can provide
them, he said. Bowen noted that
in some serious crimes, like ones
that victimize a person, should
stick for a considerable amount
of time, if not life in certain
circumstances.
The new law does not aff ect
records relating to serious crimes
such as assault, manslaugh-
ter and other sexual or violent
crimes. It also does not aff ect
education transcripts or medi-
cal records not related to insanity
pleas. Those records will remain
with the juvenile department and
are exempt from expungement.
Under the new law, people
with prior arrest records that are
expunged will be able to say that
the arrest never happened with-
out having to fi le paperwork
with the juvenile department.
However, they will still have
records for any federal-level
arrests, which operate on a dif-
ferent system.
That distinction is import-
ant for individuals in the sys-
tem if they seek out careers with
exhaustive background checks,
such as public service, military,
or security clearance investiga-
tions. They may also face chal-
lenges when fi lling out a rental
application.
“I think it’s great for kids to
be able to do this because a lot
of them grow up and forget the
original records,” said Digna
Moreno, Umatilla County Juve-
nile Division Supervisor. “And
so I think it’s great that we’re
able to do this for them. Some of
them want to enlist in the service
and sometimes their records may
get in the way.”
So with it being automatic, it
helps the process.”
Moreno said that the new
law will increases the amount of
work for her department, but that
it won’t be a bother.
“It’s a little bit more time
consuming, but I think it’s also
great for the kids when they
come into our system when they
see they have this opportunity
for the record to be destroyed at
the age of 18,” Moreno said. “It
gives them a huge carrot to work
toward completing their condi-
tions of supervision, being suc-
cessful and staying out of legal
trouble.”
According to a supporting
testimony to the bill, a compre-
hensive analysis conducted by
the Oregon Juvenile Department
Directors’ Association showed
that the cost of this legislation
will be $1.35 million annually.
“If a kid recognizes the error
of his ways and grows up out
of it,” Bowen said, “then by all
means, have a clean slate when
you become an adult.”
Community Health Beat
What's new at BMHD?
February is Heart Health Month!
Small changes can make a big impact
on your heart health in the long run.
Two great ways to improve heart health are:
add more nutritious whole foods to your diet
get your body moving!
Start small by adding just 1 more fruit or vegetable a day, and move
your body any way you enjoy and can stick to. Walking is great for
heart health! Grab your dog or a friend and try to get some
fresh air a few times a week for 20-30 minutes!
Scholarship
Applications Open
Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press, File
Grant County graduating seniors looking to
pursue a career in healthcare: visit our
website to download our scholarship
application.
Submission deadline: May 13th.
From left to right, Mike Hanley and his wife, Linda, with daugh-
ter Martha Corrigan and her husband, John, at the family’s ranch
near Jordan Valley.
U.S. Supreme Court
declines to review ‘grazing
priority’ legal battle
By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI
Capital Press
JORDAN VALLEY — An
Oregon ranch family’s legal
battle over “grazing priority” is
over now that the U.S. Supreme
Court has declined to weigh in
on the case.
The nation’s highest court
has let stand a ruling from the 9th
U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
that determined the Hanley fam-
ily’s property near Jordan Val-
ley automatically lost its priority
access to nearby federal allot-
ments upon losing its grazing
permit.
Grazing priorities or prefer-
ences put ranch properties at the
top of the list to obtain permits
for nearby grazing allotments
owned by the U.S. Bureau of
Land Management.
Mike and Linda Han-
ley leased their 1,900-acre pri-
vate ranch to their daughter and
son-in-law, Martha and John
Corrigan.
However, the BLM refused
to recognize the property’s graz-
ing priority because the Han-
leys’ grazing permit hadn’t been
renewed.
That decision foreclosed the
Corrigans’ ability to graze cattle
on 30,000 acres of public allot-
ments in neighboring Idaho, ren-
dering the ranch operation eco-
nomically unfeasible.
Donate Blood
The Red Cross is experiencing
the biggest blood shortage in
over a decade. If you're able to,
consider donating blood. Visit
redcrossblood.org to make an
appointment at one of the
upcoming local blood drives.
National Guard
Support
The Oregon National Guard has come
back to Grant County to help BMHD
with various non-clinical duties. If you
see them, be sure to thank them for
their service! Their help is greatly
appreciated during this time!
The Owyhee Cattlemen’s
Association and the Idaho Cat-
tlemen’s Association argued the
BLM’s decision “threatens to
subvert the entire system of pub-
lic land livestock grazing” by
weakening the link between pri-
vate ranchers and adjacent fed-
eral allotments.
Grazing preferences also
have fi nancial ramifi cations, as
having access to federal allot-
ments substantially increases a
ranch’s real estate value.
Certified Dietary Manager - (Full Time)
The Hanleys and Corrigans
took their case to federal court,
claiming their due process rights
Certified Nursing Assistant | Care Center - (Full Time)
were denied because the BLM
has separate regulatory pro-
cesses for canceling grazing pri-
Environmental Services Technician - (Full Time)
orities and grazing permits.
Under the BLM’s theory,
landowners could lose grazing
Maintenance Assistant | Care Center - (Part Time)
preferences if they lease property
to ranchers who lose their graz-
ing permits, thereby getting pun-
Patient Access Registrar | Emergency Dept. - (Full Time)
ished for another party’s actions.
However, the 9th Circuit
upheld an earlier ruling last Walk with a Teacher
Many other full-time, part-time & casual positions open,
year that sided with the BLM’s aturday November 20th 8:00am
visit Gym
our website for more information & to apply.
position.
rant Union High School
“After a permit expires, a for-
mer permittee does not retain
any preference to stand fi rst in
line for a future permit,” the 9th
Circuit said.
The Hanleys and Corrig-
ans petitioned the U.S. Supreme
Court to review the case but that
request was denied on Jan. 24.
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