Breaking: Linn County Judge David Delsman to Retire
It was announced yesterday, October 13, 2021, by Oregon Governor Kate Brown’s office, that Judge David Delsman of Linn County Circuit Court had submitted a notice of his “planned retirement.”
The retirement is effective in two weeks, on November 1, 2021.
Judge Delsman was appointed to the Linn bench in 2013, by former Governor Kitzhaber. Just recently, in May 2020, Delsman won another six-year term, gaining nearly 99% of the vote in the uncontested election.
However, Delsman had come under fire recently for his mishandling of court cases related to disgraced former Albany-area attorney, Megan Perry (aka Megan Moeller), including a protective proceeding in which a minor child — a baby — was removed from his mother’s care based on forged paperwork submitted to the judge. In addition to the forgeries (a hallmark of Perry’s), there was not even a hearing in the matter, and Perry submitted no evidence to Delsman to support her false claims.
That disturbing case is now being challenged and is currently scheduled to be heard next week, before Judge Brendan Kane — although few of Perry’s many other victims have been able to get any relief through the courts.
Equally questionable was Delsman’s presence in the state’s criminal case against Perry, for felony identity theft and custodial interference stemming from her legal work done before her disbarment in 2018.
Despite his close history with Perry — not to mention Perry’s attorney husband, Erik Moeller — Delsman presided over two hearings in the criminal case and each time allowed Perry to appear without entering a plea or even stating her name for the record. Delsman also did not require Perry to post bail money, and generously allowed her to travel out of state, including to Hawaii for a “family reunion.”
The state’s case was closed and partially transferred to federal criminal court, where it is currently scheduled for January 2022. The federal case is expected to widen, with additional charges added.
Governor Brown is accepting applications to fill Delsman’s vacancy until November 1. Once the candidates are announced, Governor Brown will invite public comment.
