Jason Dwight Lee (June 2, 1915 – February 19, 1980) was an American politician and judge in the state of
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
. A controversial lawyer, he served on the
Oregon Court of Appeals
The Oregon Court of Appeals is the state intermediate appellate court in the US state of Oregon. Part of the Oregon Judicial Department, it has thirteen judges and is located in Salem. Except for death penalty cases, which are reserved to the O ...
and made an unsuccessful attempt at joining the
Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court (OSC) is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States.Jason Lee Jason Lee may refer to:
Entertainment
*Jason Lee (actor) (born 1970), American film and TV actor and former professional skateboarder
*Jason Scott Lee (born 1966), Asian American film actor
* Jaxon Lee (Jason Christopher Lee, born 1968), American v ...
of the
Methodist Mission
The Methodist Mission was the Methodist Episcopal Church's 19th-century conversion efforts in the Pacific Northwest. Local Indigenous cultures were introduced to western culture and Christianity. Superintendent Jason Lee was the principal leader fo ...
from Oregon's pioneer history. He married Dorothy B. Lee, and the two were divorced on July 17, 1969, with the couple having three children while married including Vena Patricia, Elizabeth Anne and David. The family resided in
Salem, Oregon
Salem ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon, Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river ...
, where Lee was an attorney.
Political career
A Democrat, Lee ran for Congress in 1956 to represent Oregon first congressional district.Swarthout, John M “The 1956 Election in Oregon” ''The Western Political Quarterly'', Vol. 10, No. 1 (Mar., 1957), pp. 142-150, p. 143. Western Political Science Association. He won the Democratic Primary, but lost to incumbent
A. Walter Norblad
Albin Walter Norblad Jr. (September 12, 1908 – September 20, 1964), was an American attorney and Republican politician in Oregon. He represented the U.S. state of Oregon's First District from January 18, 1946, until his death from a heart att ...
by a 54.8% to 45.2% margin. In 1965, he was admonished for ethics violations and narrowly avoided being suspended from practicing law for one year.
In 1974, he won a primary election over incumbent judge Jacob Tanzer for a seat on the
Oregon Court of Appeals
The Oregon Court of Appeals is the state intermediate appellate court in the US state of Oregon. Part of the Oregon Judicial Department, it has thirteen judges and is located in Salem. Except for death penalty cases, which are reserved to the O ...
.Vollmar, Valerie J., Amy Morris Hess, and Robert Whitman. ''An Introduction to Trusts and Estates''. American casebook series. St. Paul, MN: Thomson/West, 2003. p. 201-207. As of 2004, this was the last time an incumbent appellate judge in Oregon lost an election. Tanzer's campaign committee then sued claiming Lee had lied to voters in campaign statements in violation of Oregon's election laws.''Committee to Retain Judge Jacob Tanzer v. Lee'', 270 Or. 215, 527 P.2d 247 (1974). Lee lost the jury trial, but the
Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court (OSC) is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States.Secretary of State to put him back on the fall ballot. He won the election as the only person on the ballot, defeating Tanzer who waged a write-in campaign.Oregon Blue Book: Earliest Authorities in Oregon - Appeals Court Judges of Oregon. Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on September 17, 2008. Tanzer won election to the court in 1976, and the two served on the court together until January 1980 when Tanzer was elevated to the Oregon Supreme Court.
Oregon Supreme Court
Jason Lee filed to run for an open seat on the Supreme Court in 1975. This led reporter Russell Sadler to request Lee's disciplinary records from the
Oregon State Bar
The Oregon State Bar Association (OSBA) is a public corporation and instrumentality of the Oregon Judicial Department in the U.S. state of Oregon. Founded in 1890 as the private Oregon Bar Association, it became a public entity in 1935 that regulat ...
(OSB). The OSB refused, even after the
Oregon Attorney General
The Oregon Attorney General is a statutory office within the executive branch of the state of Oregon, and serves as the chief legal officer of the state, heading its Department of Justice with its six operating divisions. The attorney general is ch ...
ordered the agency to release the files under Oregon's public records disclosure law.''Sadler v. Oregon State Bar'', 275 Or. 279, 550 P.2d 1218 (1976). Sadler then sued OSB, with a jury finding in the OSB's favor, but the Oregon Supreme Court overturned the decision and ordered the release of the records in June 1976. Once released, the files contained many complaints, a letter of reprimand for improperly contacting a judge, and weighed a total of 15 pounds.
Meanwhile, in March 1976, Lee lost another decision in the Supreme Court with the court ruling he had misappropriated funds from his daughter's trust fund.''Jimenez v. Lee'', 274 Or. 457, 547 P.2d 126 (1976). He then withdrew from the race for the Oregon Supreme Court. On February 19, 1980, Jason Lee died in office at the age of 64.