- A Portland police detective who faced allegations last year that he tampered with jurors and threatened his ex-wife has quit the force. WW first wrote about Jason Lobaughâs troubles nine years ago, after he was investigated for allegedly tipping off an illegal steroid dealer of an imminent police sting (âOfficers, Not Gentlemen,â WW, June 29, 2005). Last year, a Multnomah County circuit judge dressed him down for boasting about himself in front of potential jurors in a case in which he was to be a witness (âTamper Tantrum,â WW, Sept. 18, 2013). Lobaugh allegedly threatened to beat up his ex-wife and her new husband last summer, leading to an internal investigation (âOne Copâs Exes and Uh-Ohs,â WW, Nov. 6, 2013). The bureauâs investigators determined that not enough evidence existed for a finding of misconduct in that matter, but the Citizen Review Committee voted unanimously to challenge that recommendation. Police Chief Mike Reese agreed April 29 to sustain the complaint.
- The staff at the Multnomah County Courthouse is rushing to convert its old paper file system to a new electronic database without bringing the courtâs business to a grinding halt. Staff this week will begin transferring 2 million case files into the stateâs new eCourts system, which will cost $78 million by the end of 2015. Multnomah is the 11th county in Oregon to make the transition. Court administrator Doug Bray says 300 staffers will work through the weekend so the system can go live May 12. Anyone with court business can expect some delays as judges and staff get used to the new system. âEverything that has to happen will happen,â Bray says. âIt just might take longer.â Bray says one court employee will bring in her therapy dog to help soothe tense nerves.
- You may have noticed WW in some new places this week. The story of how we kicked a Republican U.S. Senate candidate out of an endorsement interview has drawn national attention, featured on Fox News, CNN and Slate. The incident occurred last month, when we were interviewing candidates in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate. Mark Callahan had already been asked to stop interrupting another candidate when he rebuked WW reporter Nigel Jaquiss. Jaquiss had written âblah blah blahâ in his notebook while candidate Jo Rae Perkins answered a question. Callahan then called climate change âa myth,â and Jaquiss asked him, âWhere are you on the Easter bunny?â Callahan denounced the question and was asked to leave after interrupting a question to state Rep. Jason Conger (R-Bend). Callahan called WW editors âthin-skinned liberalsâ on his way out the door. Video of the interview has become a cause célèbre in conservative media circles, drawing WW loads of Web visits and prompting some vividly worded hate mail. See the 2,500 comments (and counting!) here.
WWeek 2015