If you want justice for all, vote for Judge Williams

Judge Wes Williams is the candidate I enthusiastically support for circuit court judge in Union and Wallowa counties.

I sought Mr. Williams’ services as a local attorney when I was struggling with issues surrounding repeated cattle trespass on my property. I live within a livestock district and I wasn’t clear what exactly that meant. Mr. Williams explained the law, what my rights were, and possible options. Rather than simply advocating a course of action that would have taken a great deal of time and earned him quite a bit of money, he presented the most realistic outcomes of various alternatives, allowing me to make an informed decision.

Many years later, I served as a witness in a case over which Judge Williams presided. I had never participated in a legal proceeding before and was nervous. Judge Williams was very professional; he had clearly reviewed all of the material pertinent to the case and was ready to engage with the information presented. He made all parties feel respected and welcome. He was very patient with the witnesses; some were unsure of the legal process and others had difficulty articulating what they wanted to say. Judge Williams understood he needed to hear what the witnesses wanted to convey to the court so that he could consider all relevant facts in the case. I had no doubt of his impartiality and desire to come to the best legal decision.

It has come to my attention that for a number of years our district attorney has taken steps to try cases only in front of the judges of her choice. This seems like the action of someone who is more interested in winning than in justice for the citizens of Union County. I believe our legal system should focus on the law and on justice for us all. Judge Williams will continue to do just that.

Catherine Dickson

La Grande

Attitude and experience make Cathey well suited to be commissioner

I am writing to give my support to Kathleen Cathey for Union County commissioner. Kathleen has shown her commitment to our communities through her past work serving on the La Grande School Board and a number of other volunteer committees in Union County. She has balanced views, is a hard worker and has the strong desire to hear the opinions of others to make a difference for Union County.

Kathleen brings with her the positive attitude of working together to solve the problems that a Union County commissioner faces from time to time. I served on the board of commissioners for 16 years and know of the responsibilities that one must be willing to take on, and I can say that Kathleen Cathey is very capable of serving as our next county commissioner. Please join me in voting for her.

John Howard

La Grande

No court case is insignificant

Jared Boyd, candidate for circuit court judge, has characterized Judge Williams’ cases as “insignificant” and “mostly traffic cases.” Not only is that completely inaccurate, but it is also an alarming statement from a prospective judge. No court case is insignificant, as I can testify from my own experience.

Not long after my wife and I moved to La Grande, I heard that she had been admitted to the hospital, suddenly unable to breathe. I was 50 miles away, speeding toward La Grande. I was cited for far exceeding the speed limit and found myself in danger of losing my driver’s license. Not only did Wes Williams prepare my case with efficiency and compassion, but he even researched the calibration of the speed gun that clocked my speed and discovered that the registered speed was inaccurate. I paid the fine and was able to keep my license.

It’s likely that Mr. Boyd would have considered my case “insignificant.” Judge Wes Williams would certainly disagree. He was elected by the residents of Union and Wallowa counties who appreciate his belief that whatever the issue of the charge, each person who appears before him in court deserves the full measure of his attention and experience.

Brock Evans

La Grande

We can trust Judge Williams to be informed, attentive and respectful

I’m voting to reelect Judge Williams. In my role as executive director for Shelter From the Storm, the domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking advocacy center for Union County, from 2019-2023, I had many good interactions with Judge Williams and I feel comfortable saying I trust his motivation and willingness to act as an impartial and trauma-informed judge when it comes to cases of that nature.

During my time at Shelter From the Storm, Judge Williams was proactive to reach out to our Advocacy Center to educate himself and to become more trauma-informed about what survivors of domestic and sexual violence experience. How trauma can affect behaviors in the courtroom, how trauma affects response to law enforcement, and what tactics abusers use through law enforcement and court systems in order to control and manipulate survivors. Whenever I had access to training that was specific for judges, or for folks working within the court system, I sent that out to our local judges and court contacts. Judge Williams always welcomed the knowledge and maintained a dialogue after taking trainings, encouraging me to send more trainings as I came across them.

Judge Williams would on occasion visit the Advocacy Center to meet with the advocates and inquire about ways he could improve in the courtroom to specifically support survivors and their advocates better. He was attentive to advocates’ concerns and I would hear reports back that he would follow through on their advice and endeavor to cultivate a respectful courtroom.

I have a lot of respect for Judge Williams and the tough job he has, and I do feel that I know how seriously he takes his work because of the interactions we had with him. Did outcomes in the courts always go our way? No. But I understand our local judges have to utilize the information they are given in court, how attorneys and experts present information, and then apply the law unbiased. Outcomes were similarly balanced in the cases we were involved with regardless of the Union County judge who presided.

Jamie Landa

Cove

The Observer will run endorsement letters of no more than 350 words. We institute a deadline for letters to the editor so we can be fair with all the letters we receive and allow for responses before Election Day, if necessary.

We run local letters of endorsement on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please submit your endorsement letters to the editor by 5 p.m. Friday, April 26. You can email them to news@lagrandeobserver.com or mail them to The Observer, Attn.: Andrew Cutler, 911 Jefferson Ave., La Grande, OR 97850.

We will publish our last endorsement letters on Saturday, May 18. Any letters received after the April 26 deadline will not be published in print or online.