Judge Jessica Meyer to serve dual judicial role
ALBANY — In an unusually brief meeting Tuesday morning, Linn County Commissioners Roger Nyquist and Sherrie Sprenger approved an agreement with the city of Albany, that supports county Justice of the Peace Jessica Meyer also serving as Albany’s Municipal Court judge.
Commissioner Will Tucker was not present.
Commissioner Sprenger said she strongly supports this agreement, calling it a “great partnership” and an “opportunity for Linn County and Albany to do something together.”
Judge Meyer is a partner in the Morley Thomas Law firm in Lebanon.
She was Linn County Justice of the Peace pro-tempore from 2012 to 2018 and has been Justice of the Peace since 2018. She also prosecuted cases for the city of Lebanon.
Judge Meyer has a degree in horticulture and business management from Brigham Young University. She earned her Doctor of Juris Prudence degree from the Willamette University School of Law in 2005 and joined what was then the Morley, Thomas and McHill Law firm in 2006. She became a partner in 2011.
While at Willamette, she served as an editor of Willamette Law Online and was a member of the Willamette Law Review.
Judge Meyer will succeed Municipal Court Judge Forrest Reid.
The Linn County Justice Court and the Albany Municipal Court have similar responsibilities. The Justice Court has jurisdiction over misdemeanor crimes and other offenses committed in Linn County such as traffic, boating, wildlife and other county offenses.
In addition to county issues, the Justice Court handles similar issues for the cities of Brownsville, Halsey, Lyons, Millersburg, Sodaville, Tangent and Waterloo.
The Albany Municipal Court has jurisdiction over misdemeanors committed within the city limits of Albany.
Away from work, Judge Meyer serves on the boards of the Lebanon Community Hospital Foundation and the Oregon Justice of the Peace Association.
According to her law firm website, Judge Meyer enjoys, “running, skiing and spending time with her busy family.”
In other business, the commissioners:
- Approved an intergovernmental agreement between the Linn County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon Department of Corrections. Linn County will participate in SAVNS (Statewide Automated Victim Notification System). It will ensure that “victims have access to the latest criminal case information and changes in custody status of offenders.” There is no cost to the county.
- Appointed Miriam Cummins to Position 2 and Mitzi Naucler to Position 3 on the Community Action Advisory Council.
- Announced that a memorial service for former Linn County Clerk Steve Druckenmiller will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center. Mr. Druckenmiller’s ashes will lie in state at the second-floor rotunda of the Courthouse Friday evening and Saturday.
Media contact: Alex Paul, Linn County Communications Officer, 541-967-3825 or email apaul@co.linn.or.us.
