Robert E. Jones (judge)

Robert Edward Jones (born July 5, 1927)[1] is an American politician and Judge in Oregon. He is currently a Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon in Portland. A Portland native, he previously served as the 84th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court and as a member of the Oregon House of Representatives.

For other people with a similar name, see Robert Jones (disambiguation).
Robert Edward Jones
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon
Assumed office
May 1, 2000
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon
In office
April 30, 1990 – May 1, 2000
Appointed byGeorge H. W. Bush
Preceded byJames M. Burns
Succeeded byMichael W. Mosman
84th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
In office
1983–1990
Appointed byVictor G. Atiyeh
Preceded byJacob Tanzer
Succeeded bySusan P. Graber
Personal details
Born
Robert Edward Jones

(1927-07-05) July 5, 1927
Portland, Oregon
EducationUniversity of Hawaii (BA)
Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College (LLB)

Jones was nominated by President George H.W. Bush on February 20, 1990, to a seat vacated by James M. Burns. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 27, 1990, and received commission on April 30, 1990. Assumed senior status on May 1, 2000.

Early life

Jones was born in 1927 in Portland, Oregon.[2] After high school Jones joined the United States Naval Reserve and attended the University of Hawaii where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1949.[2] He then enrolled at the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis & Clark College in Portland where he graduated in 1953 with a Bachelor of Laws.[2] While in the Naval Reserve he served in the Judge Advocate General Corps from 1949 to 1987.[2]

After law school Jones entered private legal practice in Portland where he remained until 1963.[2] In 1963 he entered politics when he served in the Oregon House of Representatives as a Republican representing Portland.[3] He resigned, however, before the special session held later that year.[4] Jones resigned in order to become a circuit judge in Multnomah County, where he remained until 1982.[2]

State judicial service

On December 16, 1982, Jones was appointed by Oregon Governor Victor G. Atiyeh to the Oregon Supreme Court.[5][6] He replaced Jacob Tanzer who had resigned.[6] One of the most notable cases Jones judged was State v. Henry, which declared unconstitutional all Oregon obscenity laws then binding. Jones served on Oregon's highest court until April 30, 1990, when he resigned.[6]

Federal judicial service

On February 20, 1990, Jones was nominated to become a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon by nominated by President George H. W. Bush to replace Judge James M. Burns.[2] He was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 27 and then received his federal commission on April 30, 1990.[2] Jones took senior status on May 1, 2000.[2]

Notable cases

As a federal judge he upheld Oregon's Assisted Suicide law against a federal challenge in April 2002.[7] U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft had challenged the law based on federal laws concerning controlled substances.[7] In 2003[8] to 2004 he was the presiding judge of the case involving Mike Hawash of the Portland Seven in which Hawash received a seven-year sentence for conspiring to fight in Afghanistan for the Taliban against United States forces.[9] Then in 2005 he ruled against the Bush administration in their efforts to reduce protection of gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act.[10]

Other service

Jones is a former president of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association, an adjunct member of the Lewis & Clark Law School faculty, part of the National Judicial College, and a faculty member of the American Academy of Judicial Education.[11]

References
  1. Baun, Carolyn (1993). The First duty: a history of the U.S. District Court for Oregon. U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society. p. 285. ISBN 0963515608.
  2. "Jones, Robert Edward - Federal Judicial Center". www.fjc.gov.
  3. Oregon Legislature: 1963 Regular Session. Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on January 25, 2008.
  4. Oregon Legislature: 1963 Special Session. Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on January 25, 2008.
  5. Oregon State Archives: Oregon Governor's Records Guides. Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved on January 25, 2008.
  6. Oregon Blue Book: Earliest Authorities in Oregon - Supreme Court Justices of Oregon. Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved on January 25, 2008.
  7. Federal judge upholds Oregon assisted-suicide law. CNN.com. April 17, 2002. Retrieved on February 1, 2008.
  8. Oregon resident Maher Hawash charged in 'Portland Six' conspiracy. U.S. Dept. of Justice. Retrieved on February 1, 2008.
  9. Ben Jacklet and Janine Robben. Hawash regrets 'worst decision'. Portland Tribune, April 10, 2004. Retrieved on February 1, 2008.
  10. Mulford, Tanya. Wolves Win: Federal Judge Upholds Endangered Species Act Protections. Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine The Humane Society of the United States. Retrieved on February 1, 2008.
  11. Federal Civil Trials and Evidence. Archived 2007-03-10 at the Wayback Machine The Rutter Group. Retrieved on February 1, 2008.
Legal offices
Preceded by
James M. Burns		 Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon
1990–2000		 Succeeded by
Michael W. Mosman
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