Nathan Ratliff Candidate for Circuit Judge answers 10 questions for the voters for November 3rd Election

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Nathan Ratliff
nathan@parksandratliff.com

Klamath Falls, Oregon Vacancy in the Judicial Office-Nathan Ratliff

Nathan Ratliff

List of ten questions that can help provide voters with a better sense of candidates' qualifications, approach, ethics, and sense of justice:

1. What qualifies you to be a judge beyond a law degree? Why should I vote for you?

My experience, my connection to the community and my fresh perspective. As an attorney in private practice for 17 years, I have the ability to understand and navigate the complex interactions between the many areas of law a judge will encounter, and how they relate to real life situations. I have worked in administrative proceedings, trial courts and appellate courts. I have helped clients resolve, or in many cases, prevent legal problems that everyday citizens may encounter. I am comfortable dealing with a wide range of legal issues, and well-suited to roll up my sleeves and work to find answers when required. As a municipal court judge and arbitrator, from the outset I have several years’ experience adjudicating cases, managing litigants and attorneys, and working to develop processes to improve consistency and efficiency I was born and raised in Klamath County and have a connection and understanding of the community. I believe that I have lived many similar experiences to those who have grown up in our area, worked to make a living and raise families here.

My experiences in Klamath County provide me with a perspective that will allow me to implement solutions and processes as a judge to assure that our Court functions in the way best suited to our community, that our residents are treated with respect, that the rights of our citizens are properly protected, no matter what kind of case is involved, and that legal decisions are well-founded and consistent.

2. Can you explain your judicial philosophy in plain English?

The best description of my judicial philosophy would be process-driven, judicial restraint, tempered by active problem solving where discretion is appropriate. The first step in resolving a legal dispute is to identify the applicable legal framework in a given situation. Once identified, I recognize that a trial judge is not to propagate policy, but to apply the laws created by the legislature, or the appellate courts. When necessary to interpret a particular law, my primary focus is identifying the intended definition or scope of the law. Where a trial judge has been granted discretion in how to resolve a situation, my focus is ultimately to identify and achieve a practical solution to a problem, to achieve compliance and working to identify and remedy factors which may cause the problem in the first place.

3. Do you consider yourself a politician? No. I am an experienced lawyer and judge and believe I can contribute positively to my community as a fair-minded and thorough judge.

4. How will you balance being an independent judge and an elected official?

A judge must strive to be fair and unbiased with respect to any particularly legal decision that must be made. That independence absolutely comes before any political or election consideration. As an elected official, a judge should always work to be a better judge, and stay humble, grounded, and connected to the community. These attributes provide a basis for election, without sacrificing judicial independence.

5. How will you handle conflicts of interest on the bench?

The rules governing judicial conduct clearly dictate that certain conflicts of interest require recusal and that a judge must not allow personal relationships, business dealings or personally held beliefs to impact a decision. I will abide by the rules of judicial conduct, recuse myself from any case in which it is required and eliminate improper influence from my decision-making. My decision-making will be based on thorough research, thoughtful application of the law and unbiased fact-finding.

6. What are the biggest changes you think we need to make to our justice system?

In addition to access to justice, discussed below, the biggest changes we need to make in our justice system are the development of alternate procedures to deal with cases where an adversarial system is not appropriate, particularly those involving children, the identification and elimination of practices that cause individuals or groups of individuals to be treated unfairly, and the development of case management processes that assure that those seeking to enforce their rights in civil matters are adjudicated more quickly.

7. What reforms do you support to increase access to justice for all? Will you fight for them?

I support reforms to eliminate barriers to justice by:
1) increasing education and orientation of individual participants in the courts, including the increased use of forms and Court liaisons;
2) Increased education and training of court staff and attorneys to assist the public and increase awareness of barriers;
3) Increased transparency; and
4) Increased use of remote means to improve access to those in rural areas, or with limited transportation options.

I will fight for these reforms in the development of local policies and by providing input and information to increase awareness and cooperation between our Courts and other agencies, including the legislature, to assure that improvements are funded.

8. How do you define injustice?

In the context of a legal decision to be made by trial court judge, an injustice is the violation of a right.

9. How will you deal with injustice when you confront it in your courtroom?

As a trial judge, an injustice in entitled to a legal remedy. Injustice is confronted by assuring that decision-making is fair, consistent, and legally well-founded. When injustice occurs in a courtroom outside of the need to make a particular legal decision, it is the job of any responsible member of the community, including a trial court judge, to call it out.

10. How will you work to ensure equality for people of all backgrounds in your courtroom?

To ensure equality, recognizing the need to continue to learn and grow individually, I will always seek out a higher level of understanding of the needs and backgrounds of all members of our community. From a greater understanding of the community, I will work to assure the equal application of the law, and due respect for the rights of individuals.

James C. Garland
Candidate for Mayor
Klamath Falls, Oregon

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Klamath Falls, OR 97601

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