July 30, 2025 3:20 a.m.

On July 24th, Governor Kotek signed Senate Bill 95 into law. The legislation creates new judicial positions for Douglas, Lane and Clackamas counties.

A Douglas County Circuit Court release said the number of elected judges in Douglas County has not been increased in at least four decades. A request that Douglas County receive a new judge has been included in proposed legislation consistently since 2017.

Presiding Judge Kathleen Johnson said at the time Senate Bill 95 was proposed, Oregon Judicial Branch’s Judicial Workload Study showed that Douglas County needed three additional judges in order to properly adjudicate the number of cases being filed.

Johnson said the judges of Douglas County Circuit Court extend their appreciation to those legislators who recognized the need for additional judicial resources in Douglas County and voted in favor of Senate Bill 95.