Willamette Law Professor Warren Binford was quoted in an Oregon Public Broadcast story on the growing conversation on sexual assault in the Portland music community.
On Sept. 4, Portland musician Joel Magid confessed in a Facebook post that he tried to rape a woman while intoxicated, and that a friend had to intervene to stop him. Police are investigating claims against him.
A Facebook group, Portland Musicians Against Sexual Violence, has more than 300 members, and is a place for victims and advocates to talk about their experiences. A community meeting was held last week to discuss solutions to what some are saying is an escalating problem in the community.
Binford noted only six out of every 1,000 alleged rapes result in incarceration. She said although the medical community and society’s view of consent have evolved, the criminal justice system does not do a good job of addressing prevention and restorative justice.
“Everyone is frustrated with the system,” Binford said. “Whether you’re talking about victims, defendants, law enforcement, prosecutors, judges — I don’t know anyone who is happy with the system we have today when it comes to sexual assault.”
Advocates say the conversation must continue to enact lasting change.
About Warren Binford
W. Warren H. Binford was appointed to the Willamette University College of Law faculty and became director of Willamette's Clinical Law Program in 2005. Prior to joining Willamette, Binford spent eight years with Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, where she specialized in corporate litigation and transactions. Her clients included a variety of Fortune 500 companies, as well as nationally prominent colleges and universities.
In addition to her expertise in corporate law, Binford has actively worked throughout her career as a child advocate. Prior to law school, she was a licensed teacher with experience teaching in the inner cities of South Central Los Angeles, Boston and London. She has served as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for abused and neglected children in the United States and on the boards of numerous nonprofits.
Binford is a member of the Oregon and California state bars and is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court, Eastern and Northern Districts of California, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. She also served as a special assistant attorney general for the State of Oregon from 2006-2011.
About Willamette University College of Law
Opened in 1883, Willamette University College of Law is the first law school in the Pacific Northwest. The college has a long tradition at the forefront of legal education and is committed to the advancement of knowledge through excellent teaching, scholarship, mentoring and experience. Leading faculty, thriving externship and clinical law programs, ample practical skills courses, and a proactive career placement office prepare Willamette law students for today's legal job market. According to statistics compiled by the American Bar Association, Willamette ranks first in the Pacific Northwest for job placement for full-time, long-term, JD-preferred/JD-required jobs for the class of 2014 and first in Oregon for the classes of 2012, 2013 and 2014. Located across the street from the state capitol complex and the Oregon Supreme Court in downtown Salem, the college specializes in law and government, law and business, and dispute resolution.