Lane County Circuit Court Judges

Judge Charles Carlson was appointed to the bench in August 2002. He began his legal career as an assistant district attorney in 1980. In 1982 he entered private practice as an associate and then as a partner in the civil litigation law firm of Brown, Roseta, Long, McConville, Kilcullen & Carlson where his practice emphasis included forest fire, construction, product and legal malpractice cases. Judge Carlson is a former president of the Lane County Bar Association. In addition to his general trial assignment, he is the Court’s Civil Motion Judge, a member of the Ex Parte team, the Rules of Court Judge, and a member of both the 2nd Judicial District Commercial Court and the Oregon Complex Litigation Court. Judge Carlson is generally available for settlement conferences in civil, domestic relations and criminal cases on Monday afternoons.

 

Judge Carlson joined the bench in 1994 after working 15 years as a staff attorney in the office of Public Defender Services of Lane County, Inc. She is a past president of the Lane County Bar Association, past chair of the Governor's Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs and past chair of the Oregon State Bar's Affirmative Action Committee. Judge Carlson is the 2001 recipient of the OSB President's Affirmative Action award, the 2003 recipient of the Eugene Human Rights Commissions' MLK, Jr. Leadership award and the 2006 recipient of the City Club of Eugene's Turtle award (given to those who stick out their necks to improve our community). In addition to her general trial assignment, Judge Carlson is assigned to the Show Cause #2 docket. In addition to her general trial assignment, Judge Carlson is the Drug Court Judge.

 

Judge Suzanne Chanti (541) 682-4254

Judge Chanti was appointed to the bench in February 2010. She began her career in 1988 when she went to work for the firm of Swanson and Walters practicing general civil litigation with an emphasis on employment and personal injury law. She remained with various versions of that firm until her appointment to the bench. At the time of her appointment, her law practice focused on civil litigation in both state and federal courts with an emphasis on employment and civil rights cases, advising businesses regarding employment related matters and working as the city attorney for two small Oregon cities. She was appointed by both Governor Roberts and Governor Kitzhaber to serve on the Oregon Disabilities Commission. At the time of her appointment to the bench, she was a member and the chair elect of the Oregon Professional Liability Fund Board of Directors. Consistent with her belief that lawyers owe a duty to both their profession and their communities, during the more than twenty years that she has practiced law, Chanti has also served on many boards and committees and volunteered at Lane County Legal Aid and Senior Law Center. She is a well known speaker on topics relating to employment law and civil litigation.

 

Judge Conover was appointed to the Lane County bench in 2011 by Governor John Kitzhaber. Prior to his appointment, Judge Conover practiced both criminal and civil litigation throughout the state of Oregon for 23 years. Judge Conover has lived in Oregon since 1985 after graduating from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo where he received a degree in Natural Resource Management. He graduated from Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, in 1988 and began his legal career in Marion County District Attorney's office. He moved to Eugene where he was a prosecutor in Lane County and then left to begin his civil law career with the Eugene law firm of Jaqua & Wheatley, PC. For the past thirteen years, he worked in insurance defense with cases in many of Oregon's counties and sat pro-tem in both the Florence and Cottage Grove municipal courts.

 

Judge Eveleen Henry (541) 682-4753

After working at the University of Oregon Law School, Judge Henry then attended that school. She became a lawyer specializing in workers' compensation law, and was then appointed to the bench in 1995. She serves by appointment of the Chief Justice on the state Uniform Trial Court Rules Committee, and also serves on the Lawyers Assistance Committee of the Oregon State Bar Association. Judge Henry sits on the Board of Directors of both Food for Lane County and the Oregon Breast Cancer Coalition.Judge Henry is the Juvenile Court Judge.

 

Judge Holland was elected to the bench in November, 1992. In addition to her general trial assignment, she is the Probate Judge and is on the Lane County Commercial Court, where she hears complex commercial cases. Judge Holland is a member of the Oregon Council on Court Procedure and the Governor's Task Force on Protective Proceedings. She also serves on the Lane County Family Law Advisory Committee and the Lane County Mediation Commission. She previously served on the Board of the Lane County Bar Association.

 

Judge Kasubhai was appointed to the bench by Governor Kulongoski in 2007. Judge Kasubhai was an active civil trial litigator, specializing in tort litigation and workers' compensation. In 2003, Judge Kasubhai began his career in public service when the governor nominated, and the Oregon Senate confirmed his nomination to serve on the Workers' Compensation Board. In that capacity, Judge Kasubhai engaged in appellate review of workplace injury litigation. His written opinions are published and available to the public. Judge Kasubhai currently serves as a commissioner on the Oregon Law Commission and is also a member of the Oregon Board of Bar Examiners. In addition to Judge Kasubhai's general trial assignment, he also is assigned to Ex Parte proceedings and Ex Parte paperwork.

 

Judge Valeri Love (541) 682-4250

Judge Love was appointed to the bench in 2011. Judge Love’s practice included both criminal and civil litigation. She began her legal career as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Darryl L. Larson in 1995. She has previously worked as a Deputy District Attorney for the Lane County District Attorney’s Office where she primarily handled domestic violence and financial fraud cases. Her civil litigation experience includes work as an attorney with Kelly L. Andersen, P.C. and with Gleaves Swearingen Potter & Scott immediately prior to her appointment to the bench. A Native Hawaiian, Judge Love moved to Oregon in 1986 after graduating from Punahou School in Honolulu. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree from Linfield College and her Master of Management and Law degrees from Willamette University. Throughout her legal career Judge Love has been involved with numerous organizations and activities including the Lane County Bar Association, Oregon Asian Pacific American Bar Association, and Oregon Women Lawyers. In addition to her general trial assignment, Judge Love is also a member of the criminal team.

 

Judge McAlpin was appointed to the Circuit Court in 2012. After graduating from law school, Judge McAlpin worked as a law clerk in Lane County Circuit Court, a prosecutor in the Lane County District Attorney’s Office and as a civil defense attorney. He has tried numerous cases to juries in various counties throughout Oregon. In addition to his general trial assignments, Judge McAlpin currently handles FED, Small Claims and Traffic matters.

 

Lane County's longest sitting Circuit Court judge, Judge Merten has served since 1975. He was a federal prosecutor handling organized crime cases before returning to Oregon to be the Chief Trial Deputy in the Lane County District Attorney's Office. Judge Merten is widely respected as a trial judge. He has been active for many years in new lawyer education programs for local attorneys. In addition to his general trial assignment, Judge Merten hears mental commitment proceedings and adoption matters and is also on the criminal team.

 

Judge Mooney was appointed to the Bench in 2011. She spent the first 16 years of her legal career in private practice with the Eugene law firm of Calkins & Calkins. Her practice was primarily devoted to the defense of civil litigation with a focus on medical and other professional negligence cases. She then spent 7 years in the private healthcare industry directing the risk management, claims, IRB and compliance programs for a local healthcare organization. Judge Mooney was appointed to serve as a member of the Oregon Health Policy Board's Medical Liability Task Force in 2010. She has participated in various written and oral presentations on topics including general tort law concepts, trial tactics and strategy, health law and legal issues specific to members of the GLBT communities. In addition to her general trial assignment, Judge Mooney also handles FED, Small Claims and Traffic matters. She serves as back-up civil motions judge and hears all expungement motions and non-foreclosure UTCR 7.020 motions.

 

Judge Karsten H. Rasmussen, Presiding Judge (541) 682-4253

Judge Rasmussen was appointed to the bench in 1999. He practiced in the area of civil litigation for 16 years throughout the state prior to joining the Circuit Court. Judge Rasmussen was a member of the Oregon State Senate (District 22, rural Lane County) from 1993 to 1995. Judge Rasmussen is the Court's Civil Motion Judge, conducts Ex Parte matters and is a member of the 2nd Judicial District Commercial Court, where he handles complex commercial matters. He conducts settlement conferences in personal injury, business, employment, construction, domestic relations and criminal cases. A native Oregonian who was raised in Lane County, Judge Rasmussen has been active in many community activities over the years, including numerous boards and committees. He is a regular lecturer on civil procedure. Judge Rasmussen recently completed a two year term as President of the Oregon Circuit Court Judges Association. He teaches Oregon Civil Procedure at the University of Oregon School of Law. Judge Rasmussen is currently the Presiding Judge of the Circuit Court, a position he has served the Court in since 2012.

 

Judge Ilisa Rooke-Ley (541) 682-4300

Prior to her appointment and subsequent election to the bench in 2010, Judge Rooke-Ley served as a criminal defense lawyer for sixteen years. She worked as a lawyer for Public Defender Services of Lane County in Eugene for 14 years, representing adult criminal defendants, children in delinquency cases, and parties in dependency cases. She also worked at the Law Offices of Terri Wood in Eugene, and has served as a public defender in Miami, Florida. She currently serves on the board of directors for Relief Nursery and Sponsors, Inc., and has served on the board for a number of other local nonprofits, including Lane County Legal Aid, Eugene Human Rights Commission, and the Lane County Public Safety Coordinating Council. She earned her law degree from Nova Southeastern University Law School and her bachelor's degree from William Smith College.

 

Judge Debra K. Vogt (541) 682-4027

Judge Vogt was elected to the bench in November 2006. Judge Vogt graduated from Oregon State University with a philosophy degree before attending law school at Willamette University College of Law, graduating in 1994. After law school, Judge Vogt served as a judicial clerk before beginning her career with the Lane County District Attorney's office, where she spent over a decade as a Lane County Deputy District Attorney. In the DA's office, Judge Vogt handled every type and level of criminal prosecution, ending her career there as a member of the Major Crimes Division, focusing on the prosecution of major violent felonies and child sexual abuse. Judge Vogt is a past board member of the Lane County Bar Association as well as the Child Advocacy Center of Lane County (now known as "Kids' FIRST"). Judge Vogt is a recipient of the Oregon State Bar President's Public Service Award. In addition to her general trial assignment, Judge Vogt is the Court's Chief Criminal Judge.

 

Judge Zennaché was appointed to the bench in December 2007. Prior to joining the bench, he practiced law in Eugene for 19 years. During his career he practiced in a variety of areas, including municipal prosecution, municipal law, commercial litigation, commercial bankruptcy, and civil rights and employment law. Immediately prior to joining the bench, his practice emphasized family law and mediation. Judge Zennaché is currently a member of the Council on Court Procedure. He has served on the executive committees of the Family Law Section and Debtor – Creditor Section of the Oregon State Bar. He was on the 2010 Oregon Judicial Department / Oregon State Bar Task Force on Family Law Forms and Services. He has also served as a member of the Eugene Police Commission and chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution subcommittee of the Lane County Bar Association. Off the bench, Judge Zennaché serves as a member of the board of directors of McKenzie River Trust and has served in leadership roles with such organizations as the Eugene Celebration, Oregon Country Fair and BRING Recycling. In addition to his general trial assignments, Judge Zennaché is a member of the criminal team.