--- title: "Rhett Bernstein | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/rhett-bernstein-west-linn-municipal-court-or" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-07-27" --- # Rhett Bernstein West Linn Municipal Court · Municipal or Justice Court Judge (Elected) ## Profile - Court: West Linn Municipal Court - State: Oregon - Role: Municipal or Justice Court Judge (Elected) - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-27 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### electronic devices recording Scope: statewide Oregon OJD guidance under UTCR 3.180 requires advance permission from the judge or court designee before electronic notes, courtroom recording, or electronic transmission from the courtroom. Evidence excerpt: you need advance permission from the judge or court designee before you [Oregon Judicial Department: Media Coverage at the Courts](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/news/pages/covering-courts.aspx) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### recording limits Scope: statewide Oregon OJD guidance lists proceedings and materials where recording is not allowed, including juvenile cases, many family-law cases, voir dire, private conversations, jurors, and recesses. Evidence excerpt: Recording is never allowed for [Oregon Judicial Department: Media Coverage at the Courts](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/news/pages/covering-courts.aspx) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote hearing platform Scope: statewide Oregon OJD states that remote hearings use Webex and that the court provides case participants with the link to join the hearing. Evidence excerpt: The court uses Webex to host these remote hearings and will provide case participants with the link to join the hearing. [Oregon Judicial Department: Remote Hearings](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/services/online/Pages/RemoteHearings.aspx) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote public access Scope: statewide Oregon OJD explains that eligible remote hearings may be live-streamed for public viewing through Webex Events, subject to limitations and court access instructions. Evidence excerpt: If the remote hearing is eligible for public viewing, it will be live-streamed through Webex Events [Oregon Judicial Department: Remote Hearings](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/services/online/Pages/RemoteHearings.aspx) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### livestream access Scope: statewide Oregon OJD publishes live stream access instructions and states that live streaming begins shortly before scheduled proceedings. Evidence excerpt: Live streaming of proceedings begins approximately five minutes before the scheduled proceeding time. [Oregon Judicial Department: Live Stream Proceedings](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/services/online/Pages/live-stream.aspx) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/courts/pages/other-courts.aspx) - [Official roster](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/courts/pages/other-courts.aspx) - [Oregon Judicial Department official judicial roster](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/courts/pages/other-courts.aspx) - [Oregon Judicial Department: Media Coverage at the Courts](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/news/pages/covering-courts.aspx) - [Oregon Judicial Department: Remote Hearings](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/services/online/Pages/RemoteHearings.aspx) - [Oregon Judicial Department: Live Stream Proceedings](https://www.courts.oregon.gov/services/online/Pages/live-stream.aspx) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/rhett-bernstein-west-linn-municipal-court-or", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/rhett-bernstein-west-linn-municipal-court-or", "name": "Rhett Bernstein | KnowJudges", "description": "Rhett Bernstein, West Linn Municipal Court. 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Bernstein is the elected Municipal Court Judge for the City of West Linn, Oregon, serving through December 31, 2026, after being re‐elected in the November 8, 2022 general election - Legal Practice: In 2005, he founded his own law firm in the Portland area, offering criminal defense, estate planning, and probate services - Early Career: He clerked for the Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office and for Clackamas County Circuit Court Judge Ronald Thom ### Education ### Additional information - Bernstein was first elected to the position in 2013 and re‐elected in 2022. - Prosecutorial Service: Before becoming a judge, he prosecuted major felonies as a deputy district attorney in the Willamette Valley - As municipal court judge, he presides over cases in West Linn’s local court - handling matters such as traffic violations, small claims, and other municipal-level legal issues - Official site: City of West Linn — Municipal Judge City of West Linn Oregon Official Website - He has also provided prosecutorial services to multiple municipalities, including West Linn, Lake Oswego, Oregon City, and Milwaukie - Born and raised in West Linn, Oregon, Bernstein earned his Juris Doctor from the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College, with a specialized certificate in criminal law and procedure