On January 2 Joel Stevens will be sworn in as Tillamook Countys newest Justice of the Peace. Stevens will receive the gavel from retiring Judge Neal Lemery, who has presided over Justice Court for 12 years. The Headlight Herald caught up with the two judges and asked about the office of Justice of the Peace, and what it means to the community.

Judge Lemery has been an attorney for 32 years; hes worked as a defense attorney and hes been the District Attorney. Ive sat in every chair in criminal justice in this county, Lemery said, and Justice of the Peace was my favorite by far.

What Ive gotten out of this job, said Lemery, is the amazing sense of trust by the community, to say, We trust you to figure this out. Its humbling.

The Justice Court is the judicial branch of county government, and processes citations issued by law enforcement agencies for traffic violations, boating violations, fish and game violations, state and county parks violations, county ordinances, and city ordinances for the cities of Tillamook, Garibaldi and Bay City. The court also hears small claims cases involving claims up to $10,000, and eviction actions between landlords and tenants. The Justice of the Peace performs weddings at the courthouse and throughout Tillamook County.  

Judge Lemery has performed 1800 weddings; Judge Stevens has his first wedding coming up in January.

Stevens has been with the Tillamook County District Attorneys Office for four years; prior to moving to Tillamook he worked as a defense attorney. I havent served as a judge before, said Stevens, but in law school, we had the opportunity to act as judge. Weddings are actually the only part of the job that I have absolutely no experience with.

In addition to his experience as an attorney, Stevens brings to the Justice Court experience in adult education as a part-time instructor at Tillamook Bay Community College, where he teaches criminal justice. Stevens expects that educating the public will be a big part of his new job, and hes looking forward to it.

Because people come to Justice Court and represent themselves, its important for the Judge to educate people and explain what the process is, and how it works, said Stevens. I really enjoy teaching. And the peoples court idea resonates with me. I grew up the oldest of six in an impoverished part of the South. Court and attorneys were an alien world. I saw education as a way to escape that poverty. In Justice Court, everyone gets to be heard, everyone is an equal here.

Lemery concurs. A big part of the job is listening to people. In general, people dont have too many places where they get to talk and be heard. They get to come in here and be heard. Due process is enormous, Lemery continued. If you get a speeding ticket, you dont get to argue with the officer about it on the side of the road. But people come in here, and they get to talk, and ask questions; courtroom is really school.

Im passionate about education, too, said Lemery. Without an education I couldnt do 90 percent of the things that I enjoy doing in my life.

Public service is something I truly enjoy, said Stevens. This position is a unique opportunity to be able to serve the people of Tillamook County, and I think Ill be able to be an advocate in a way that you cant be in the DAs office. Its very exciting. I feel like Ill be able to hit the ground running, give people a fair hearing and make good decisions from day one.

Joel has a reputation for being a fair and decent guy, said Lemery, an honorable guy. Its an honor that no one ran against him. It says that the bar thought he was the best person for the job.

Its really important for the judge to be elected, said Lemery. It makes you accountable to the people. Its humbling to be elected and it gives you independence, because the voters are my boss.

Its very important to have an independent judiciary, agreed Stevens, and elections are the best way to do that. Being elected gives you the moral authority to do the right thing. I am a servant of the community and I apply the law.

Im excited about Joel taking over the bench, said Lemery. He has all the skills and abilities and the same passion I have. I love this court, Im proud of the work we do here, and I want it to be successful.