Oregon attorney Peter Lamb pleads “Not Guilty” to hit and run homicide
Questions remain about his release, and very special treatment
Peter Lamb finally entered a plea of “not guilty” last Friday, in the criminal case against him for his negligent homicide of motorcyclist Johnny Ray Phillips, Sr., in June 2023. Lamb, a Portland-based attorney, has remained free for over a year on a mere $25,000 security release — Oregon’s version of bail.
Lamb and his case have been handled with excessive deference by the Oregon Judicial Department. Of greatest concern, documents that are supposed to be public records have been unlawfully hidden from view.
Additionally, Lamb’s trial keeps getting pushed back, at the same time he has been allowed to travel all over the country, and even to Canada. Lamb appeared by phone Friday, not in person at Deschutes County Circuit Court.
There are also questions as to whether Lamb is violating the conditions of his security release — specifically his duty to inform the court prior to a change of address, and also to simply stop disobeying the law.
Lamb apparently can’t stop being a shitty, selfish driver
It’s a matter of record that Lamb had been ticketed at least seven times in Oregon for speeding, parking in the wrong direction, and missing license plates — he was even pulled over earlier the same day he allegedly collided with Phillips.
Lamb literally didn’t let any of that slow him down, though, on March 23 of this year, when he was clocked going 56 mph in a 45 zone.
Where does Lamb live?
The hit-and-run case register lists Lamb’s home address as Old Orchard Road in Portland; but in March, Lamb told the officer his address was Northeast Good Pasture Loop in Terrebonne:
The matter is further complicated by the fact that Lamb apparently sold his Portland house two months ago. One way or another, Lamb has not notified the court of his current and correct address, and he certainly didn’t give the court prior notice.
Going this way and that way
The court has permitted Lamb to take several trips since his indictment, including visits to Alaska, California, New York, South Carolina, and Ontario, Canada.
Ontario happens to be where the person who paid Lamb’s bail money lives.
Oregon Judicial Department’s secret records
The worst for last: Another instance of the Oregon legal community protecting the reputation and dignity of one of its own, across multiple courts and offices.
The secret indictment was filed and a warrant was issued for Lamb on July 3, 2024, and he was arrested, booked, and released that same day. That evening, the case made the local news.
Nearly a week later, the case documents were still not available through the court’s web access portal, OECI. I emailed the Deschutes District Attorney, Stephen Gunnels, to see if he would pop over the indictment.
Surprisingly, Gunnels stated that “The court let us know that the Lamb case will not become accessible in ecourts until after he is arraigned due to OJD policy. Arraignment on indictment is set for 7/23/24 at 9am.”
However, the next day, a Deschutes court clerk told me that she “has never heard of such an ‘OJD policy.’” She said she would look into it. Later, she called back and verbally denied my records request, and suggested I call the DA.
I filed a petition for a public records order with the DOJ the following week. During the time that the petition proceeded, the records finally became public, weeks after the fact.
Additionally, in Lamb’s March 2025 speeding case — which was officially closed in May — there are two mysterious “confidential” documents in the file. They are dated a week before Lamb’s hit-and-run plea, and they are not publicly accessible:
Even more eyebrow-raising, there is no copy of Lamb’s speeding citation in the docket — a basic component of any traffic record.
Mr. Lamb and his attorneys did not respond to my request for comments on this story. The case is now set for trial in June 2026. There will be more coverage as this case develops, including any disciplinary sanctions against Mr. Lamb by the Oregon State Bar.
