On Friday, August 2, 2024, the Central Oregon Daily News reported that the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office released a video showing Judge Bethany Flint’s interaction with sheriff’s detectives investigating a murder case from 2022.
The video, which was recorded on October 9, 2022, captured Judge Flint at a home where detectives were looking into the death of 70-year-old Leonard Raymond Peverieri. According to records, Judge Flint received a call informing her of the death and that police wanted to question the victim’s wife, who was described as an acquaintance of the judge.
The video then shows Judge Flint entering the residence and speaking with law enforcement and the wife on multiple occasions during their conversation. When the wife expressed her desire for legal counsel, Judge Flint ended the questioning and told detectives an attorney needed to be present.
While Judge Flint’s face is blurred in the video, she is heard advising the wife not to answer any additional questions until consulting with a lawyer. Judge Flint also interjected to inform detectives they could check property records to verify the wife’s access and that any business-related questions should wait until she obtained representation.
The video release relates to a recent censure of Judge Flint for improperly intervening in two cases, including the 2022 murder investigation. Records state Judge Flint’s actions violated judicial rules requiring impartiality and prohibiting the use of one’s position for personal gain. Legal experts note that while intended to help acquaintances, such involvement from a judge risks unduly influencing police work.
In consenting to the censure, Judge Flint acknowledged inappropriate behavior in advising an unrelated friend seeking a restraining order in 2020 and then complaining about the judge assigned to that case. The agreed-upon censure represents the informal resolution between Judge Flint and the Oregon Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability, pending final Supreme Court approval.
The district attorney’s release of the video offers further transparency into the issues underlying Judge Flint’s public punishment for overstepping her judicial role in personal matters under police investigation. It remains to be seen if the Supreme Court will affirm the censure as a suitable response.
Source: Central Oregon Daily News
