My Letter to the La Grande Observer

With rights come responsibilities and with (the abuse of) authority comes accountability.
For two months I have read and listened as Judge Mendiguren has portrayed himself as fair and impartial, completely
accessible, helpful to families and a man of integrity. At the candidates forum he challenged voters to judge him on his
record. I challenge the accuracy of his statements and would like to make part of his record public.
In the transcripts there are numerous instances that I believe show him being confused as to the facts and being
inattentive during the proceedings. He often lashes out when unsure or feeling his authority is being challenged. When I
tried to protect my daughter and myself by asking for a restraining order he said, “I’m going to throw your ass in jail.”
A year later he granted me a restraining order (after a death threat), modifying it to say “respondent may not stop (at my
home) except in emergency.”
I have tried for eight years to talk to him about the conduct of those to whom he continually and carelessly delegated his
authority. A letter from his court administrator says it best, “I told you I could not accept the documents and called our
court security officer to the counter.” The idea that he is accessible is simply ludicrous.
Contrary to our wishes, Mendiguren sent my daughter to live with an acknowledged drug addict. With her went $4,875 of
her assets, now gone ($14,000 total stolen through his court). After she failed to appear twice, my daughter and I
petitioned the court for a warrant.
The warrant was signed and dated by Phil. His signature and the date are later obscured by whiteout and entered into
the official record as denied — a clear indication of both his willingness to help families and his integrity.
Larry Bare
Union