Ryan Mulkins Appointed as Ashland Municipal Judge

ASHLAND, Ore. — After a split vote, Ashland City Council last night unanimously approved the appointment of Ryan Mulkins as municipal judge.

The votes by councilors were split 4 to 3 in favor of Mulkins. The four councilors who supported Mulkins were Mayor Tonya Graham, Eric Hansen, Paula Hyatt, and Bob Kaplan.

Votes were cast for Jesse London by councilors Gina DuQuenne, Jeff Dahle, and Dylan Bloom. After the votes were tallied, the three councilors supported the Mulkins appointment. In recent years, London served as judge pro tempore in Cottage Grove and Veneta, Oregon.

Mulkins takes over from Pam Turner whose term ended on August 30. Turner resigned after spending more than 14 years on the bench.

The appointment will see Mulkins as the Ashland municipal judge for the next two years if Measure 15-233 on this week’s election ballot is rejected and the city charter is changed so that the municipal court judge is appointed rather than elected.

New Judge Has Learned How to be Impartial and Fair

In his application for the Ashland position, Mulkins said he had made over 1,000 court appearances as a prosecuting and defense attorney. He said he has experience in cases that involved some of the state’s most serious criminal statutes, as well as violation-level offenses.

Mulkins said his current position as a Judge Pro Tem for the Medford Municipal Court “has been the most enjoyable role I have played in the criminal justice system.”

Mulkins said he has learned how to ensure impartiality and fairness, and how to efficiently manage court time.

He currently serves part-time as a deputy district attorney in Jackson County and has previously served as an elected district attorney in Josephine County.

A third candidate for the position of Ashland Municipal Judge was Laurance Parker, an attorney with a legal firm that provides indigent criminal defense. Parker had previously worked as a criminal defense attorney in the Southern Oregon Public Defender’s office.