No. 18-112

Vance D. Day, Judge, Circuit Court of Oregon, Third Judicial District v. Oregon Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability

Lower Court: Oregon
Docketed: 2018-07-25
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Amici (2) Experienced Counsel
Tags: 14th-amendment constitutional-defenses due-process first-amendment free-exercise free-speech judicial-ethics oregon-supreme-court original-jurisdiction procedural-due-process
Key Terms:
ERISA DueProcess FirstAmendment JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2018-10-05
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether it is a Due Process violation for a court of original jurisdiction to refuse to consider, or to reject without sufficient analysis, substantial constitutional defenses, while nevertheless finding the judge guilty of violating those ethical rules

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

Questions Presented The Oregon Supreme Court, acting as a court of original jurisdiction, suspended Judge Day from his judicial office for three years without pay. Judge Day was found guilty of violating several judicial ethics rules, including manifesting bias toward same-sex couples by refusing to perform same-sex marriages while the court refused to consider his Free Exercise and Free Speech defenses to that charge. Likewise, the Oregon Supreme Court found Judge Day violated several other rules while it again refused to consider his Free Speech defenses to those alleged violations. Finally, Oregon Supreme Court found that Judge Day had violated these rules while improperly summarily rejecting his Procedural Due Process claims related to those charges. This case presents the following issues: (1) Whether it is a Due Process violation for a court of original jurisdiction to refuse to consider, or to reject without sufficient analysis, substantial constitutional defenses, while nevertheless finding the judge guilty of violating those ethical rules; (2) Whether the Oregon Supreme Court, and certain Oregon ethical rules, violated the Free Exercise and Free Speech clauses of the First Amendment when he declined, on the basis of his sincerely-held religious beliefs, to perform the non-mandatory judicial function of solemnizing same-sex marriages; (3) Whether certain Oregon ethical rules are unconstitutional under the Free Speech clause of the First Amendment for prohibiting protected speech and chilling protected speech by vagueness; ii (4) Whether the Commission and the Oregon Supreme Court violated the Procedural Due Process protection of the Fourteenth Amendment when they refused to order a deposition of a key witness, used telephone testimony to determine the demeanor of a key witness, excluded impeachment evidence, and required Judge Day to submit the opening brief to a court of original jurisdiction when the Commission had the burden of proof and the duty to go forward with the evidence.

Docket Entries

2018-10-09
Motion for leave to file amicus brief filed by Freedom of Conscience Defense Fund GRANTED. Justice Kavanaugh took no part in the consideration or decision of this motion.
2018-10-09
Petition DENIED. Justice Kavanaugh took no part in the consideration or decision of this petition.
2018-09-12
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/5/2018.
2018-09-07
Reply of petitioner The Honorable Vance Day filed.
2018-08-24
Brief of respondent Oregon Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability in opposition filed.
2018-08-24
Motion for leave to file amicus brief filed by Freedom of Conscience Defense Fund.
2018-07-23
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due August 24, 2018)

Attorneys

Freedom of Conscience Defense Fund
Charles S. LiMandriFreedom of Conscience Defense Fund, Amicus
Charles S. LiMandriFreedom of Conscience Defense Fund, Amicus
Oregon Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability
Timothy R. VolpertTim Volpert PC, Respondent
Timothy R. VolpertTim Volpert PC, Respondent
The Honorable Vance Day
James Bopp Jr.The Bopp Law Firm, PC, Petitioner
James Bopp Jr.The Bopp Law Firm, PC, Petitioner