Marion County judge faces safety concerns after alleged tirade, unsecured gun

MARION COUNTY, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Three Marion County judges say they fear for their safety after a colleague’s alleged alcohol-fueled, sexist tirade at a judicial conference in Central Oregon and the discovery of a loaded, unsecured handgun under his courthouse desk.

According to reporting by The Oregonian, Marion County Circuit Judge Channing Bennett is on leave and under investigation by the state’s Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability after the April 27 incident at Sunriver Resort in central Oregon. Witnesses told investigators Bennett appeared intoxicated and repeatedly used vulgar language during a social hour at the conference.

Three female judges from the Marion County bench later told a state investigator they do not feel safe around Bennett, citing his verbal attack at the resort and noting he is known to carry a firearm. Their concerns intensified when court officials discovered a loaded handgun attached to the underside of Bennett’s desk in his courthouse chambers in Salem.

Internal records and threat assessment notes obtained by reporters show that three days after the Sunriver incident, another judge intervened to retrieve Bennett’s gun and render it safe after learning it was stored unsecured and in violation of county rules. The weapon’s location and condition prompted additional safety reviews within the courthouse, according to those documents.

The fallout from Bennett’s conduct is now affecting how criminal cases are handled locally. Marion County District Attorney Paige Clarkson has requested that Bennett not hear criminal matters involving her office while the investigation continues. Clarkson’s request underscores broader questions about public trust and courthouse security when judges themselves are the focus of misconduct probes.

Bennett has apologized publicly for his behavior at the conference, saying he takes “full responsibility” and deeply regrets his conduct. He is currently on an indefinite, voluntary leave of absence while the Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability reviews the allegations.

The investigation and the judges’ safety fears come at a time when communities across Oregon remain sensitive to issues of workplace safety, firearms access and accountability for public officials, particularly in settings as central to local life as the Marion County courthouse.