ROGUE OF THE WEEK: WashCo Defense Lawyers Hold Courthouse Protest

A source in the Washington County legal community tells WW several defense lawyers are planning a silent protest in court this morning based on our Rogue of the Week.

The lawyers plan to hold copies of the current issue of WW during the weekly case assignment session in Washington County Circuit Judge Thomas Kohl's courtroom. The meeting lasts about two hours, and at least one representative from the DA's office always attends.

Our current Rogue describes how the Washington County District Attorney's office is using a domestic-violence law to prosecute a teenage driver. The move shocked Secretary of State Kate Brown, who wrote the law as a state senator in 1997 and told WW she's "horrified" it's being used this way.

Our source says Jason Weiner, the deputy district attorney who made that charging decision, is often in attendance at the weekly session where Judge Kohl assigns each case pending trial to a specific judge in the Hillsboro courthouse.