The embattled Marion County judge who directed a string of obscenities at his colleagues while intoxicated during an after-hours social event in April kept a loaded and unsecured handgun in his chambers, public records show.
On April 30, three days after Circuit Judge Channing Bennett’s explosive tirade, the Marion County trial court administrator notified the Oregon Judicial Department Marshal’s Office that “there was an unsecured firearm” attached to the underside of Bennett’s desk, according to documents obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive in response to a public records request.
Circuit Judge Tom Hart retrieved the gun and “rendered it safe,” according to log notes provided by the judicial department. The gun was then stored in the marshal’s safe and Bennett picked it up on May 4, the document states.
The marshal’s office manages security and threat assessments for the state’s judiciary branch.
The revelation that Bennett kept an unsecured gun in his chambers comes after three women judges in Marion County said they do not feel safe around Bennett after his tirade during a get-together at another judge’s suite at the Sunriver Resort on April 27.
Those judges disclosed their concerns in a threat assessment conducted by the marshal’s office after a complaint was filed with the judicial fitness commission.
Multiple judges told a deputy marshal that Bennett had been consuming alcohol during the event. Several said Bennett was known to carry a gun.
Another judge told the investigator she witnessed Bennett drink alcohol at a previous judicial conference last year and that he showed her his gun.
In response to questions from The Oregonian/OregonLive, the judicial department this week released photographs taken inside Bennett’s chambers after the gun was removed on May 4. Photographs showed the underside of Bennett’s desk next to where his chair would be positioned, allowing easy access to the loaded firearm, a Glock 43X pistol.
Oregon law generally prohibits guns in public buildings but allows presiding judges in each county to issue orders that carve out exceptions. In Marion County, the order states that judges may carry or possess a gun “while acting within the scope of employment.”
The policy requires judges who carry guns in the courthouse to have a license for a concealed handgun. It also requires them to notify the presiding judge “of their intent to carry a dangerous weapon.”
The policy states that all guns in the courthouse “must be kept under lock and key or personally carried on the person while on court premises.”
Multnomah and Washington counties have similar policies.
Washington County requires judges who bring a gun into the courthouse to attend a safety course each year and to carry their concealed handgun permit with them “at all times” when possessing a gun in a court building. That policy also requires judges to keep their gun locked in a safe in their chambers if they aren’t carrying it, and they’re only allowed to have it on them when arriving or leaving the courthouse.
Bennett’s lawyer, David Elkanich, did not respond to an email seeking comment.
Marion County Presiding Judge James Edmonds did not respond to questions from The Oregonian/OregonLive, including whether Bennett had informed him about the gun and whether Bennett provided the court with his concealed handgun license. Edmonds also did not respond to a question about whether Bennett had reported any threats he received that were connected to his work.
State data shows threats against judges are on the rise. In 2021, eight threats were reported against judges; 41 were reported last year. The judicial department does not track the number of judges statewide who possess guns at work.
The judicial department learned of Bennett’s tirade on April 28. An agency spokesperson said Bennett agreed to “take time away” from the courthouse that day, and he has not returned since. Edmonds told Marion County District Attorney Paige Clarkson last month that he had reassigned Bennett’s cases.
Bennett issued a public apology in May after The Oregonian/OregonLive reported on his behavior.
The episode took place during an Oregon Circuit Court Judges Association Conference at Sunriver.
According to the threat assessment, Bennett was intoxicated during a social hour hosted by Judge Sean Armstrong. Bennett used multiple obscenities, judges reported.
Judge Amy Queen told the deputy marshal for the judicial department that Bennett used a four-letter misogynistic vulgarity to refer to a prosecutor, who was not present. When Queen asked Bennett what he had said, he proceeded to use the word another 15 to 20 times and appeared “aggressively focused”on Queen.
He also yelled another derogatory term often used against women, Queen told the deputy marshal.
She characterized Bennett as a “pressure cooker ready to explode” and said she “doesn’t feel safe” around him, according to the report.
Judge Jodie Bureta also witnessed Bennett’s outburst and said she, too, does not feel safe around Bennett since she knows he’s often armed, the report states.
Judge Jennifer Gardiner, who also attended the get-together, told the deputy marshal that she, too, did not feel safe around Bennett.
Deputy Marshal Jennifer Webster conducted the threat assessment. She noted Bennett had not made any “direct threats.”
“Many judges reported (Bennett’s) life is all about being a judge and expressed concerns about if his career was affected how he may react,” Webster wrote.
Webster wrote that officials had discussed a potential safety plan for Bennett’s return to the bench.
It is unclear when Bennett will return to work. The complaint is under review by the Oregon Commission on Judicial Fitness. The commission investigates misconduct complaints and has the power to recommend disciplinary action against judges.
Bennett has served on the Marion County bench since 2016 and has since won two elections. His current term runs through Dec. 31, 2028.
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