What is a deposition?

If you sue someone, or if someone else sues you, there is a good chance that you might be required to sit down in an office, swear an oath to tell the truth, and answer questions from the other side’s lawyer. That process is called a deposition. There is no judge or jury at a…

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Not guilty – Multnomah County domestic violence trial

This afternoon in Portland, a Multnomah County jury unanimously agreed that managing attorney Troy Pickard’s client was not guilty of domestic violence. Specifically, the six jurors agreed that the defendant had not caused any offensive physical contact with the intent to harass or annoy the alleged “victim.” Although the prosecutor argued that the defendant had…

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Not Guilty – Clackamas County Theft Trial

Today, in Clackamas County Circuit Court, a jury unanimously found managing attorney Troy Pickard’s client not guilty of both theft in the second degree and theft in the third degree. Had he been convicted, this defendant could have received a sentence of several years probation, several days in jail, thousands of dollars in fines and…

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Trial victory – eviction and retaliation case

Today, in Multnomah County Circuit Court, Portland Defender’s managing attorney Troy Pickard prevented an eviction won several thousand dollars for his client, a Portland-area tenant, in an eviction trial. The rental home in question had serious problems with its electrical and heating systems. The landlord refused to fix these problems and refused to negotiate about…

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Skip Small Claims Court in Oregon

So, you’ve got a “small” case for just a few thousand dollars – it’s not a multi-million dollar case, but it’s a big deal to you.  Should you take your case to small claims court?  Probably not, because if you skip small claims court, you may be able to get the other side to pay…

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