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Letter from the Editor: Jaw-dropping story underscores value of local journalism Updated Dec 27, 2020; Posted Dec 27, 2020 Michael Fesser speaks at an anti-racism rally in West Linn. Fesser was wrongfully arrested by West Linn police in 2017. Facebook Share It was a year of pandemic and protests, of wildfires and elections, and lots of other news that never stopped in 2020. But I want to highlight one series of articles because I think the work illustrates the sort of accountability journalism you support when you subscribe to The Oregonian or OregonLive. Reporter Maxine Bernstein’s Febru...

December 23 2020 OIR Group recommends reforms and policy changes following a scathing review of the Michael Fesser case. The authors of a report lambasting the city of West Linn for its handling of the Michael Fesser case sat down (virtually) with West Linn city councilors to discuss their review and recommendations at the council's most recent meeting on Dec. 21. Councilors told Michael Gennaco and Rob Miller of the OIR Group that they hope to engage them further as the city moves forward in the wake of the racist policing scandal. In April, the city hired OIR Group to conduct a revi...

West Linn’s insurer failed city in defense of Michael Fesser’s wrongful arrest suit, outside consultants said Updated Dec 22, 2020; Posted Dec 22, 2020 Without the insurer’s lawyer who was handling the litigation present at City Council executive sessions, the council heard from others who didn’t have the full story of what was developing. The council should expect briefings “from somebody who knows what they’re talking about,” said Michael Gennaco, OIR Group investigator. Facebook Share The city of West Linn shouldn’t tolerate the poor representation its insurer provided in...

West Linn cop fired for wrongful arrest mulling lawsuit December 22 2020 Former West Linn Police Sgt. Tony Reeves was let go in June for conduct during Fesser case; no lawsuit filed yet. Former West Linn Police Sgt. Tony Reeves issued a tort claim notice to the city of West Linn in October alleging he was wrongfully terminated from the city. No lawsuit from Reeves has been filed, though his attorney, Chris Mascal, said they had filed the tort notice to keep their options open. "City is on notice that Reeves asserts that his termination was unfair, unprecedented and was merely ass...

Recently released report shows how West Linn dealt with racial discrimination lawsuit. Over the past seven months Michael Gennaco and Robert Miller of the investigative firm OIR Group have attempted to piece together everything that went wrong for the city of West Linn — and who is to blame — since the moment Michael Fesser served city officials with a tort claim alleging racial discrimination by West Linn police on June 4, 2018. While it was fairly easy to find fault with the actions of former Chief Terry Timeus and former Sgt. Tony Reeves (as the Clackamas County District Attorney's ...