Occupation: Judge/ Attorney/Mediator

Occupational Background: Justice of the Peace; Circuit Court Judge Pro Tem

Educational Background: Universities of Michigan (B.G.S.) and California (J.D.); National Judicial College

Prior Governmental Experience: Medford Planning Commission and Charter Review Committee; Ashland Forest Lands Commission

Personal: Age 51; Children: Mimi; Malia

Community Involvement: Mediation Works; Rotary Club; Ascension Church President; SMART Reader; youth mentor; community theater; Britt volunteer; Jackson County Bar President; Oregon State Bar House of Delegates; American Judges' Association Member; Court Security Committee; Presenter at ODOT Judicial Education Conference.

EXPERIENCED:

Jackson County Justice of the Peace, hearing hundreds of trials and thousands of arraignments
Circuit Court Judge Pro Tem: presided over criminal jury trials and family law hearings
Restored professionalism and respect to the Justice Court, helped reduce traffic fatalities by two-thirds
Over 100 hours of judicial education
Experienced mediator and arbitrator, reducing court caseloads
24 years of trial lawyer experience in diverse practice areas
Parent, property owner, and business owner

CONCERNED:

Offenders must be held accountable; victims of crime must be made whole
Courts must protect the most vulnerable: children, seniors, and victims of violence
Strong families build strong communities; Judges should reflect community values
Judges must apply existing law, not create new law from the bench
Judges must be respectful, listen to the parties, keep an open mind, and communicate the reasons for their decisions
Judge Charter is concerned about preserving our quality of life and individual freedoms
Judge Charter does not accept contributions from lawyers, avoiding conflicts of interest and restoring confidence in judicial independence

"Charter has been busy … [T]he laws being enforced …
make the county a safer place to live."
-Medford Mail Tribune Editorial, 11/29/05

Endorsed by: Sheriff Mike Winters, Jackson County Commissioner Dave Gilmour, former Ashland Police Chief Mike Bianca, Senior Judge Mitchell Karaman, Phoenix Mayor Carlos Debritto, Ashland Mayor John Morrison, former Phoenix Mayor Larry Parducci, former Shady Cove Mayor Dick Bailey, Attorney Tom Dzieman

View representative decisions at www.JudgeJoeCharter.com.

(This information furnished by Charter for Circuit Court Committee.)