Municipal Court Judge Candidate Qualifications

Next Election:

The next election will be November 2026. Please see below for qualifications. The City looks forward to your application.

Qualifications (see below for details):

• Qualified elector under the State Constitution
   
• City of West Linn resident for 12 months prior to the election. Elected officials shall continue to be residents of the City during their entire term of office
   
• Member of good standing of the Oregon State Bar during their entire term of office

The duties of the Municipal Judge may be found in the West Linn City Charter: http://www.codepublishing.com/OR/WestLinn/.

The application form SEL 101 (Filing of Candidacy for Nonpartisan Nomination) is available on the Clackamas County Elections Division website under Candidate Filing Forms & Manuals / Campaign Finance http://www.clackamas.us/elections/forms.html.

Please bring a completed, signed form to the City Recorder’s Office, West Linn City Hall, 22500 Salamo Road, West Linn, Oregon 97068.   For additional information contact City Recorder Kathy Mollusky at kmollusky@westlinnoregon.gov or 503-742-6013.

What are the qualifications to run for Municipal Court Judge?

The Municipal Court Judge is elected from the City at large for a four-year term.

Per Section 12 of the West Linn City Charter:

(a) A candidate for City office shall be a qualified elector under the State Constitution and shall have resided in the City during the twelve months immediately before being elected or appointed to the office. “City” means the area inside the City limits at the time of the election or appointment. Elected City officers, subsequent to their election or appointment, shall continue to be residents of the City during their entire term of office.

(b) No person may be a candidate at a single election for more than one elective City office.

(c) An elected officer may be employed in a City position that is substantially volunteer in nature. Whether the position is so may be decided by the Municipal Court or in some other manner, whichever the Council prescribes.

(d) Except as subsection (c) of this section provides to the contrary, the Council is the final judge of the election and qualifications of its members.

(e) The qualifications of appointed officers of the City are as the Council prescribes or authorizes.

Per Section 24 of the West Linn City Charter:

(a) The Municipal Judge shall be elected for a term of four years and shall be a judicial officer of the City. The Municipal Judge holding office at the time of adoption of this Charter shall hold his or her office for the balance of the term for which he or she was elected or appointed and until his or her successor is elected and qualified. The Municipal Judge shall be a member of good standing of the Oregon State Bar during his or her entire term of office. Disbarment shall be a basis for removal from office by the Council.

Municipal Court Judge 

Rhett Bernstein - Re-elected in November 2022.