Ashland, Oregon (October 31, 2023) – The Ashland branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and Jackson County Library Services are hosting a free public discussion around “The 21st Century Evolution of Criminal Justice in Oregon” on Tuesday, November 7th from 4 – 5:30 p.m. in the Gresham Room at the Ashland Library, 410 Siskiyou Boulevard. This presentation will highlight what the average citizens need to know and understand about the law. The speaker is a recently retired Jackson County Circuit Court judge, Lorenzo Mejia.  

Mejia earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Oregon School of Law. He moved to Jackson County in 1988 to take a job with Jackson County Public Defenders, where he worked for over 13 years as a court-appointed attorney. In 2002, he was appointed Circuit Court judge by Governor John Kitzhaber. He retired from the bench at the end of last year. Most of Judge Mejia’s work as an attorney and a judge was in criminal law. 

The monthly “Big Ideas” discussion series features prominent local experts speaking on relevant and prompt issues affecting our community. Lectures are jointly sponsored by the Ashland Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and Jackson County Library Services. For more information, please contact Jackson County Library Services at 541-774-6996.