the Over-Prosecution of Andrew Long
Undue Influence at Multnomah’s Circuit Court and the Oregon State Bar
This morning, August 19, 2019, begins the planned four-day trial in the matter of the State of Oregon vs. Edward Andrew Long in Multnomah Circuit Court. Mr. Long is a Portland attorney accused of violating a court’s stalking protective order, stalking, and telephonic harassment. He faces eighteen charges of Class A and B Misdemeanors, fifteen of which should be thrown out immediately, but given the court’s record, probably will not.
The charges stem from a civil case brought by Morgana Alderman, Mr. Long’s former assistant whom he discovered was texting with his ex-wife and allegedly interfering with his custody matter. Understandably angry, Mr. Long unleashed a torrent of texts and other contacts that, while distasteful, most certainly did not meet the legal standard required to support a stalking order.
I have been writing about Mr. Long’s Oregon problems for some time now, and reviewing volumes of court documents related to this case, an eviction case, and the Oregon State Bar’s proceedings against him.
All of these matters have been repulsively tainted by power, money, and influence being wielded like a club, producing inexplicable and unjust outcomes. In the process, Mr. Long’s constitutionally granted due process rights have been severely violated.
This week’s trial will likely be no different.
It would be criminal to look away from this mess as the State — clearly under the influence of someone or something outside Multnomah’s usual legal system — charges forward recklessly and overzealously, unable to view their conduct from a bystander’s perspective. Their conduct can best be described as unreasonable, and at worst, insane.
To frame it more simply, they have either drunk so much #MeToo Kool-aid that they believe that Mr. Long does not deserve due process, or their actions have been paid for. That should chill everyone.
It is important for these people to know that others are watching, be it a member of the media from New Jersey, or a respected legal ethics professor overseas, or a congressman in Florida. People are watching and taking notes and judging all of the participants. It may take years to address, but history will not be good to them.
Because of my knowledge of all things related to Mr. Long’s cases, and my personal concerns for his long-term safety and livelihood, I will be watching carefully and writing about the mayhem and giving context throughout the week.
I will also be drawing comparisons to another criminal case against a Multnomah lawyer, Lori Deveny, who, as a frame of reference, is facing 92 charges of class B and C felonies, with 32 separate victims. Mr. Long spent four days in jail for his alleged stalking, and had to pay a percentage of the $100,000 bail ordered against him. Ms. Deveny, on the other hand, was booked and released in a morning and was not ordered to pay any bail, despite the severity and scope of her alleged crimes. Deveny is being prosecuted by one District Attorney, while Mr. Long has two of Multnomah’s finest leading the case against him.
Most egregiously, the Oregon State Bar (OSB) has demonstrably intervened on behalf of their friend Deveny, while working hard to convolute and muddy Mr. Long’s matter. The OSB even went so far as to funnel prejudicial and possibly confidential documents — seemingly unscreened and unredacted — in real time, as they received them, to reporter Nick Budnick of the Portland Tribune, who used it as his main source of information for a series of salacious articles about Mr. Long. Despite much handholding by the OSB, Budnick clearly struggled with understanding the actual legal matters Mr. Long faced.
Etc. etc. etc.
So, let the trial begin.
As we watch, ask yourself if this is how Oregon’s limited state and county resources should be spent. More importantly, as we delve into the facts, ask yourself if justice is being served, or is for sale.
