Washington County Circuit Court
Court Contact & Location
Monday – Friday: 8am – 4:30pm
Law Enforcement Center (LEC):
Main Courthouse:
Additional Information
The provisional government of Washington County was prosecuting crimes at least 30 years before Oregon was even granted statehood. The first criminal prosecutions took place in a small log cabin located on private land. In 1852 the county constructed its first official courthouse located on the corner of 1st and Main Street in Hillsboro, where the court has remained since. The current Washington County courthouse was built in 1928.
The Washington County Circuit Court is no stranger to controversy and has a reputation as one of the most difficult courts in the State. Many of Oregon’s best criminal defense attorneys consider the court overly bureaucratic with unnecessary rules and procedures that create barriers to fairness and justice.
The court has a long history of media leaks that have exposed petty infighting between judges. Some Washington county judges have threatened lawsuits against each other, have been subject to Oregon State Bar complaints, and have been accused of favoring their friends in the prosecutor’s office at the expense of the criminal defendants.
Head District Attorney, Kevin Barton, has been criticized for blaming the court’s backlog on criminal defense attorneys. He denies that over-prosecution has contributed to the backlog and has vowed to continue the “law and order” campaign he ran on. Oregon’s public defenders make an average annual salary of $59,000.00 compared to Kevin Barton’s $268,726.00 annual salary.
Erik Nicholson has spent 13 years navigating the tumultuous Washington County Circuit Court. This experience includes valuable knowledge about the court’s procedures, local rules, and the individuals involved. He knows the judges, court clerks, and various district attorneys and how to engage with these folks to achieve meaningful and beneficial results for his clients. Knowing the system and people you are up against is essential to successfully resolving a criminal case.
Clackamas County Circuit Court
Court Contact & Location
807 Main St, Oregon City, OR 97045
Monday – Friday: 8am – 4:30pm
Additional Information
The first Clackamas County courthouse was built in 1850 and burned down in 1866. Another courthouse wasn’t built for 20 years during which time the County leased various spaces to conduct court business. In 1885, the county completed construction on a new courthouse which only lasted for 45 years until it was deemed too small to serve the growing population.
The current courthouse, which was built with federal funding during the great depression, is now considered structurally unfit with serious safety concerns. Testing has concluded that the ground could liquefy during a serious earthquake and the courthouse would likely collapse into the Willamette River. Despite these concerns, the County still spent millions in taxpayer dollars to complete a 5,765 sq. ft. expansion of the courthouse in 2013. Never content with spending more taxpayer dollars, in early 2023 the county broke ground on a $313,000,000.00 “state-the-art” courthouse, hopefully, located on solid soil this time.
Yamhill County Circuit
Court Contact & Location
Monday – Friday: 8am – 12pm 1pm – 4pm
535 NE 5th St, McMinnville, OR 97128
Additional Information
Yamhill County’s first criminal prosecutions took place in the local “Hawn’s” tavern. An official county courthouse was built in 1850, but it burned down seven years later from “suspected” arson. There were then several different courthouse locations including the second floor of a residential home that the county rented annually for $100.00. The current courthouse, constructed in 1963, is known for being the first court in Oregon to have a courthouse dog. “Marybeth” retired in February 2023 after greeting more than 2,000 victims and witnesses during her 9 year courthouse career.
Beaverton Municipal
Court Contact & Location
Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri: 7:30am – 4:30pm
Wed: 7:30 AM–12 PM 2–4:30 PM
4755 SW Griffith Dr, Beaverton, OR 97005
Additional Information
Although the Beaverton Municipal Court only has jurisdiction over misdemeanor offenses committed within the Beaverton city limits, the city prosecutes roughly 3,000 misdemeanors annually. This number makes up nearly half of the misdemeanors prosecuted in all of Washington County despite Beaverton only representing approximately 1/6th of the county’s total population. Given the extremely high case volume, it is not a surprise that the Beaverton municipal court generates a significant amount of revenue for the City of Beaverton.
The court and prosecutor’s office has experienced significant change over the last 5 years with many of the long-term staff leaving for other courts and tenured judges and prosecutors retiring or suddenly resigning without a given reason. The City of Beaverton does not share with the public why there has been such a large turnover among staff, Judges, and prosecutors, but the situation is curious.