Deschutes County judge reprimanded for ‘interfering’ in murder investigation | Local news

A Deschutes County District Court judge has agreed to reprimand her for intervening on behalf of personal friends in two cases, including a murder two years ago near Bend.

Judge Bethany Flint’s reprimand relates to incidents in 2020 and 2022, according to reprimand documents signed last month.

The first incident occurred on September 14, 2020. According to the documents, Flint had spoken to a personal friend about the process of obtaining a restraining order and guided that friend through the process. Flint was not the issuing judge in this case.

After attending a hearing, the friend told Flint that she felt she had been mistreated by the judge.

In a conversation with Flint a week later, the judge asked how she handled “plaintiffs who lack credibility.” Flint was able to determine that this was her friend’s case. Flint then vouched for her friend’s credibility and told the judge that her friend felt mistreated.

Flint subsequently complained to the presiding district judge about the issuing judge’s tone during the hearing and also wrote an opinion about the issuing judge in another restraining order case.

The second incident occurred on October 9, 2022 and involved the death of 70-year-old Leonard Raymond Peverieri in a home east of Bend.

Flint received a call from someone informing her of Peverieri’s death and that the police were interviewing his wife, a friend of Flint’s.

Flint entered the house and saw that police were in the house. She “intervened in the conversation with the officers on more than one occasion.” When her friend indicated she wanted a lawyer, Flint ended the questioning and told investigators a lawyer needed to be present.

Flint informed the presiding district judge the next day of her interaction with investigators at the scene. She also reported the incident to the Oregon Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability.

The commission concluded that Flint had violated several provisions of the Code of Conduct for Judges, including that a “judge shall not abuse his position to obtain personal advantage of any kind for himself or any other person.”

Flint agreed to the reprimand. The document was also signed by Bend Mayor Melanie Keibler, who chairs the Oregon Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability.

Although Flint and the Oregon Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability have agreed to the public reprimand, the case still must be reviewed and approved or denied by the Oregon Supreme Court.