Medford, Ore. – A legal hearing took place Friday at the Josephine County Circuit Court in the ongoing case of John West versus Lily Morgan. The case centers around a recall petition that led to West’s removal from office as a county commissioner in December, a petition spearheaded by Morgan, his fellow former commissioner and state representative.
West, a Republican, is suing Morgan, also a Republican, over the recall petition she filed against him. Morgan, who served as the chief petitioner in the recall effort, has defended the petition, stating that the recall was not politically motivated but was driven by a desire for good governance and pride in Josephine County. She emphasized that the recall was based on concerns about West’s leadership, not his political party affiliation.
In his lawsuit, West argues that the claims in the petition were false and misleading, a violation of the guidelines outlined in the prospective petition form, SEL 350, which Morgan filled out. West pointed to the form’s warning about the consequences of submitting false information, which could lead to a felony conviction.
“They base their whole petition as if I’m a single commissioner that makes all the decisions. It was based on ‘John West, John West, John West,’ not as ‘the commissioners,’ or not as ‘John West one of the commissioners.’ It was always based as I did everything on my own and that’s completely false,” West said during the hearing. He further argued that the petition’s claims misrepresented his actions and were intended to mislead the public. West expressed hope that the court would rule in his favor, allowing him to return to his position as county commissioner.
On the other hand, Morgan defended the petition, insisting that the claims made in the recall petition were truthful. She pointed to the 13,000 ‘yes’ votes from a total of 19,000 voters in the recall election, emphasizing that the voters of Josephine County had spoken in favor of the recall.
“This is why we’re here today,” Morgan said. “An anti-SLAPP motion is a strategic lawsuit against public participation. These lawsuits are filed to prevent someone from exercising their rights as voters to hold elected officials accountable.” She argued that West’s lawsuit was a response to the unfavorable recall vote and that it was an attempt to silence public dissent.
Both sides have presented appellate court cases that they believe support their respective positions, and the judge will now review the information before making a decision.
The outcome of this case could have implications for future recall efforts in Oregon, particularly in cases where the accuracy of recall petitions is in question. The court’s ruling may set a precedent for how such petitions are handled and whether false claims in recall efforts could lead to legal consequences.
As the case continues to unfold, residents of Josephine County, and beyond, are watching closely to see how the court addresses the issue of accountability in local government and the role of voters in challenging elected officials.