This oral history interview with John A. Jelderks was conducted by Donna Sinclair from December 19-27, 2006, and Jan Dilg from May 28 to September 16, 2009, as part of the United States District Court Oral History Project. The interview was conducted in five sessions. The first two sessions were recorded on audiocassette; Audiocassette 1 is missing, but its content is reflected in the interview transcript. The third and fourth sessions were recorded as digital audio files. The fifth session was recorded simultaneously as digital audio files and on videocassette; the audio files contain additional content.
In the first interview session, conducted on December 19, 2006, Jelderks discusses his family background and early life in Salem, Oregon, including his education, recreational activities, and summer jobs. He also shares his memories of life in Salem during World War II, including neighbors who fought in the war, and the U.S. government's incarceration of Japanese Americans.
In the second interview session, conducted on December 27, 2006, Jelderks discusses his experiences studying psychology and later law at Willamette University, including his involvement in a fraternity, his service in the Oregon Air National Guard and the U.S. Air Force Reserve, and some of his law school professors and classmates. He shares his opinion on sentencing guidelines, discusses how the practice of law changed, and briefly talks about his first marriage and raising a family. He talks about his experience as a law clerk for Oregon Supreme Court Justice Gordon Sloan and about his relationship with other justices. He talks about his career as a district attorney for Marion and Hood River counties, and talks about some of the cases he prosecuted, including a rape case.
In the third interview session, conducted on May 28, 2009, Jelderks continues to discuss his service as Hood River County district attorney from 1966 to 1971. He describes some of the cases he prosecuted, then discusses working as a lawyer in a private practice in Hood River for a short time. He speaks about serving as a judge in Oregon's 7th judicial district. He describes the appointment process, discusses adjusting to a judge's workload, and talks about his re-election campaigns. He also discusses his unsuccessful 1988 campaign for a seat on the Oregon Supreme Court. He talks about cases he heard, particularly domestic relations cases, and about writing decisions.
In the fourth interview session, conducted on August 20, 2009, Jelderks continues to discuss serving as a judge in Oregon's 7th judicial district. He speaks at length about hearing cases regarding the Rajneeshees. He then revisits the topic of his unsuccessful campaign for a seat on the Oregon Supreme Court. He talks about the changes in his family during the 1970s and 1980s, including his second marriage, and the death of one of his children in a car collision.
In the fifth and final interview session, conducted on September 16, 2009, Jelderks discusses his involvement with the Hood River Rotary Club. He speaks at length about serving as a magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court of Oregon from 1991 to the time of the interview. He describes the appointment process, discusses the role of magistrate judges in Oregon, and talks about judges he worked with. He describes the differences between the state and federal courts, and speaks at length about his decision in the Kennewick Man case, which regarded the custody of ancient Native American remains. He closes the interview by sharing his thoughts on restorative justice, on the concept of judicial activism, and on electing judges.
Jelderks, John A. (John Anthony), 1938-