I’ve been a member of the Umatilla County Bar Association since 1998. Until my retirement, I was the regional director of the Pendleton Office of Legal Aid Services of Oregon — “LASO” (this letter does not express the opinion of LASO). One of my highest priorities was to protect the rights of victims of domestic violence and to represent the interests of low-income individuals and their children involved in family law matters; mostly representing women in these cases.

I have appeared before Circuit Judge Eva Temple on family and housing law cases. I have also supervised attorneys and have spoken to numerous others who have appeared before her. In all that time, I’ve not witnessed, nor been informed directly by another lawyer, that Judge Temple was anything other than practical, fair and impartial.

I do not want to dismiss the experience of anyone who may not share my opinion. I do not know them and I am not familiar with their cases. Surely, family law disputes can be emotionally gut-wrenching.

Being a judge is not easy. Oftentimes both parties blame the judge for not getting everything they wanted in a family law case. While a party or lawyer may not agree with the final decision Judge Temple has made, it is my experience that she takes pains to follow the law, to be compassionate with litigants, and their sometimes-unruly lawyers, and to be fair.

Arron Guevara

Pendleton