gerald tipton questionnaire

7/31/2019 Gerald Tipton Questionnaire

1/5

Statesman Journal mini-questionnaire for 2012 General Election

Thank you for responding to this questionnaire, which is for use by Statesman JournalEditorial Board members in evaluating candidates for potential endorsements in the Nov.6 General Election. Your answers also will be shared with reporters and may be

published in the print newspaper and on StatesmanJournal.com.

If you completed our questionnaire for the primary season, youll notice that somerequested information is similar. We ask you to provide it again in case any of yourprevious data or answers have changed. (If you cant find a copy of your previousanswers, let us know and well gladly send one.)

Please answer each question and return this questionnaire to the Editorial Board via emailas an attached Word document. The boards email address:[email protected]

Deadline for submitting your questionnaire: 9 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, or earlier.Questions? Contact Editorial Page Editor Dick Hughes, 503-399-6727,dhughes@StatesmanJournal.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Your name: Gerald R. Tipton

Age: 58

(If your age will change before the Nov. 6 election, please indicate your birthday. We want to make surewe use accurate ages in editorials and news coverage. )

Political party (if this is a partisan office): Nonpartisan

Position you are seeking (name of position, district number): Circuit Judge, District 12,Position 3

I plan to attend the editorial board meeting scheduled for: October 10, 2012 at 11 am

Number of years living in the area you seek to represent: 4 years, three months (prior tothat I was a military resident of Oregon living in VA) ( except for military service andcollege, I have lived in Oregon since 1955).

Do you affirm that you are a full-time resident of that area? Yes


2/5

City/town of residence: Dallas, OR

Family (name of spouse/partner, number and ages of children if at home, number of grown children):Barbara, spouse since 1977, two grown children, Sarah (32) and Jonathan (30) and one granddaughterAbigail, 8 months

Education: Bachelor of Arts, Stanford University, 1976Doctor of Jurisprudence, University of Oregon, 1979Diploma, US Army War College, 1995

Current occupation and employer: Attorney, Self-employed

Military service: US Army/Oregon Army National Guard, 1979-2009

Rule of Law Officer, Iraq, 2006

Employment history:

Prosecutor, US Army (1979-83), Deputy DA, Union Co (1983-1986), Partner, Wasley &Tipton (1986-1989), Staff Judge Advocate, RI National Guard(1989-2000), AssistantChief Counsel, National Guard Bureau (2000-2002, 2006-2008), Special Advisor to TheJudge Advocate General (2002-2006), Rule of Law Officer, Iraq (2006), Special ProjectsOfficer, OR National Guard (2008-2009), Circuit Court Judge (Pro Tem), OregonJudicial Dept. (2009-2011)

Community involvement/volunteer history: Assistant Scoutmaster/Merit BadgeCounselor, Boy Scout Troop 288, Dallas, OR, 2010-Present

Please list all public offices to which youve been elected, and when: None

Please list any unsuccessful candidacies for public office, and when: Union County DA,1984

Other prior political and government experience: Deputy DA, Union County (1983-86),

US Army/Oregon National Guard (1979-2009), Circuit Court Judge Pro Tem (2009-2011)

How much your general election campaign will cost: $672 so far, total TBD.

Key endorsements you have received: None. I do not believe that it is appropriate for


3/5

judges to either seek or accept endorsements.

How the public can reach your campaign (remember that this information may be published):

Mail address: PO Box 1205, Dallas, OR 97338

E-mail address: [email protected]

Web site URL:

Phone:

Fax:

Please limit your response to each of the following questions to about 75 words but be

specific.

1. Have you ever been convicted of a crime, been disciplined by a professional licensingboard/organization or had an ethics violation filed against you? If so, please give thedetails.

I have never been convicted of a crime nor have I ever been disciplined by a professionallicensing organization. I have been recently accused of misconduct because on mycandidate statement I listed my occupation as Circuit Court Judge when I was onlyapproved as a Circuit Court Judge Pro Tem, but not then also appointed. The samecomplaint has been filed with the Oregon Attorney General, the Oregon Secretary ofState, the Oregon State Bar and the Judicial Fitness Commission.

2. Have you ever filed for bankruptcy, been delinquent on your taxes or other majoraccounts, or been sued personally or professionally? If so, please give the details.

No, except that I was once sued in federal district courts in Connecticut and Rhode Islandby a disgruntled former soldier. I was sued personally even though my only role was toprovide legal advice to the General who approved his discharge. I successfully moved tosubstitute the United States as the defendant. Summary judgment was then granted andhis appeal to the 2nd (?) US Circuit Court of Appeals was denied.

3. Why should people vote for you? What separates you from your opponent(s)? Twothings distinguish me from Judge Hill. I have 33 years of legal experience, includingyears as a prosecutor, criminal defense attorney, general law practitioner and judge.Judge Hill has limited his practice to real estate/foreclosures for 17 years. He has noexperience since law school in criminal law, juvenile law or dissolutions, the mainbusiness of the court. I have also demonstrated a devotion to selfless public service. For


4/5

thirty years as a soldier, I wrote a check payable to the United States in any amount up toand including my life. I volunteered for service in Iraq. Upon my military retirement, Iserved two years as the sole judge in the Linn County Domestic Violence court. I wouldstill be serving there but our funding was not renewed. I have also volunteered as asurrogate father for my 14 year old nephew. As part of that project, I have rejoined the

Boy Scouts and have served since 2010 as an Assistant Scoutmaster/Merit BadgeCounselor. So far, I have attended 3 summer camps and more than 20 other outings. Tomy knowledge, Judge Hill has no public service prior to his recent appointment.

4. What are the three most important issues you would address if elected? How? (75 wordsfor each issue)

Access to justice Although the law provides stiff filing fees and financialpenalties, the court is given some discretion. I have and would continue to try tomitigate litigant costs through waivers of fees and alternative sentencingtechniques such as community service.

Domestic Violence Court - Polk County does not have a Domestic ViolenceCourt. I would establish one to address this issue. I would direct all DV cases toa single judge who would have continuing supervision of them. I would insist onexpedited handing of DV cases. These actions in Linn County were amazinglysuccessful in addressing the DV problem, especially the issue of recidivism.

Veterans Court - Polk County does not have a Veterans Court. Veterans havespecial issues which often benefit from handling by a separate court. I wouldestablish a court modeled after the Klamath County Circuit Court. The goal ofsuch a court is take into account the veterans experiences and the resourcesavailable to them through the Veterans Administration while still holding them

accountable for their actions.

5. What do you see as other important issues? The survival of the Oregon courts is at riskdue to the financial squeeze on the Oregon Judicial Department. Since judges salariescant be cut, the cuts have hit the support staff very hard. Although the courts have keptup with the criminal docket, the civil docket is suffering and will continue to be adverselyaffected by the delays caused by inadequate staffing.

6. How would you describe your political style or for judicial candidates, your judicial

temperament?Prior to sitting as a judge, I would have said law and order. However, as a judge Ilearned that there is frequently another side to almost all stories. I also learned, throughpersonal experience with hundreds of defendants, of the difference a firm, but fair, judgecan make. Many defendants want to do better and do so if given some judicial help. Ialso believe that judges are public servants and must treat everyone with appropriaterespect at all times.


5/5

7. If you are an incumbent, what have you achieved during your current term? If you arenot an incumbent, how have you prepared yourself for this position?

In addition to 30 years of broad legal experience, I spent nearly 2 years as a Circuit Court

Judge Pro Tem. In that capacity, approximately 50 defendants appeared in my court. Ialso presided over 20 jury trials (and talked with each jury after the trial).

8. What is the largest budget you have handled, and in what capacity? I served as theHuman Resources Officer for the Rhode Island National Guard. I handled the payroll,travel and training budget for approximately 300 civil service employees. I believe it wasover $15 million per year.

9. What is the largest number of employees youve supervised, and in what capacity?

I was a brigade administrative officer, supervising approximately 60 full-time soldiers. Ialso served as the Commander, Troop I, 3rd Squadron, 116th Armored Cavalry. Icommanded 189 soldiers for two years. I was then promoted and served as theOperations Officer for the entire squadron of approximately 1100 soldiers, helping guidethe it through a reorganization and a change in major equipment.

10. Who is your role model for this office the person/people you would most like toemulate?

My role model is a composite person who has the best characteristics many judges,lawyers and soldiers I have known. My goal is to always do the right thing, even if noone else agrees with me.

11. Any skeletons in your closet or other potentially embarrassing information that youwant to disclose before it comes up in the campaign?

No (see #1 above)

gerald tipton questionnaire

Documents