The race for the Oregon Court of Appeals position 10 is a battle of experience versus new blood, as incumbent Rex Armstrong faces a challenge from Kyle Krohn.

Armstrong, 68, has served on the Oregon Court of Appeals since first being elected in 1994. Krohn, 34, has worked as a deputy public defender for the state for six years

Before his election as judge, Armstrong worked as an intern in Sen. Mark Hatfield’s Washington office in the early 1970s, an experience that initially soured him on running for election.

By the time an Oregon Court of Appeals seat opened up in 1994, however, Armstrong said he felt prepared to run.

Through his four terms, Armstrong said his understanding of the nuances of his role as judge, along with his ability to work with other members of the court, have set him apart.

“It is important to have someone doing this work who has a broad range of experience,” he said.

Armstrong said a case he was particularly proud of was Tubra v. Cooke, decided by the Oregon Court of Appeals in 2010. The court reversed a lower court’s ruling in the case, which involved a defamation suit against a pastor in Columbia County. Armstrong’s opinion, which he called “distinctive,” noted that the defamatory statements weren’t religious in nature and don’t qualify for protection under the First Amendment.

Krohn became a deputy public defender after focusing on politics during his time at Whitman College, in Walla Walla, Washington, and receiving his law degree from Georgetown University.

He said he felt compelled to run for the position because of what he perceives as a lack of transparency from the Oregon Court of Appeals. Unlike comparable courts, Krohn said, the Oregon Court of Appeals has a practice of not giving written opinions on the majority of cases it rules on, a tradition he said has been in place since the 1970s.

Armstrong responded that the court lacks the resources to issue decisions on every case it hears, and noted that the Oregon court issues opinions aimed at the public at a higher rate than comparable courts.

Still, Krohn said his primary focus in the race is improving the court’s transparency going forward.

“I think judges should always have to explain their decisions,” Krohn said.

The primary election for the nonpartisan position will be held May 15. If a candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, that candidate is elected. Judges on the Oregon Court of Appeals serve six-year terms.

— Reporter: 541-617-7818, shamway@bendbulletin.com