Benton County’s circuit court bench is set for a changing of the guard next January, as Judge Joan Demarest steps down after nearly eight years of service and Corvallis immigration attorney Yema Measho prepares to take her place following a decisive win in the May 2026 primary election.
Today, we are publishing extensive and revealing interviews with both Demarest and Measho. They both touch on law and judging. Each of these interviews offer insights into who these officers of the court are as people, and what has shaped them and drives them.
Both offer inspiring stories, reflections on justice and balance – and in the instance of the drug court, some scenes that we found kleenex-worthy in all the best ways.
Before diving into the two interviews, we’ll offer you some background.
Demarest’s Departure
With her current term set to expire January 4, 2027, Demarest announced in late 2025 that she would not seek re-election. “It has been an honor to serve the people of Benton County,” Demarest said in announcing her decision.
Demarest was appointed to the Circuit Court bench in April 2019 by then-Governor Kate Brown and was subsequently elected to retain the position in November 2020. She succeeded Judge David B. Connell, who had retired from the bench. Then-Governor Brown praised the appointment at the time, saying Demarest’s background as a prosecutor, defense attorney and family law practitioner would allow her to “administer justice with a fair mind and an even hand.”
Before settling in Corvallis in 1979, Demarest had lived in New Jersey, Los Angeles and Chicago. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College in 1993 and her law degree from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1998. She spent a decade prosecuting cases for the Benton County District Attorney’s Office, later worked assisting students with civil and criminal matters through the Associated Students of Oregon State University’s Office of Legal Advising, and then entered private practice, where she focused on court-appointed and retained criminal defense, family law, juvenile dependency and delinquency cases, and victim advocacy. She also served as a municipal judge and worked at the Corvallis firm Nash, Ortiz & Demarest.
Outside the courtroom, Demarest is a member of the Oregon State Bar and Oregon Women Lawyers, and has served as president and vice president of the Linn-Benton Bar Association. She belongs to the Rotary Club of Greater Corvallis and the Zonta Club of Corvallis, and has served on the Corvallis 509J School Board as well as the boards of the Boys and Girls Club of Corvallis, Plain Talk for Kids and the Parenting Success Network. She has also volunteered with Stove Team International and the Linn Benton Food Share.
In the closing months of her term, Demarest has focused on advancing the county’s newly reinstituted Adult Treatment Court, commonly referred to as a drug court, which launched Jan. 14. Really, it’s a problem-solving court designed to address the underlying causes of criminal behavior — most often substance use disorders.
The Race to Replace Her
The filing deadline for candidates for Benton County Circuit Court Judge Position 3 was March 10, 2026, with the election held in May 2026. Three candidates entered the nonpartisan race: Yema Measho, Mike Flinn and Joseph Elwood.
Measho emerged with a commanding win. In county election results, Measho led with 10,562 votes, or 55.47%, to Flinn’s 5,005 votes (26.29%), while Elwood finished third with 3,407 votes (17.89%). Because she topped 50% of the vote, Measho avoided a November runoff and is set to become Benton County’s new circuit judge in January.
Benton County Democrats endorsed Flinn. However, reporting from The Corvallis Advocate revealed that as both a prosecutor and defense attorney, he’d had a longstanding record of running roughshod over abuse and sexual assault survivors.
The Corvallis Advocate endorsed Measho ahead of the primary, noting that she drew high praise from fellow attorneys and that the editorial board believed her presence on the bench would reflect the community’s values.
Getting to Know Judge-Elect Measho
Measho grew up in Ethiopia and moved to the United States early in her adult life, where she learned a new language and navigated an unfamiliar legal and educational system. That path eventually led her to a legal career in Benton County, where she has practiced law since 2008. She earned her law degree from Willamette University College of Law and her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington.
For more than 15 years, Measho has represented individuals, families and businesses in complex legal matters, primarily within the federal immigration system, along with related state-law issues. Much of her practice has involved clients at pivotal, high-stakes moments in their lives — cases where legal outcomes could determine whether someone stays with their family, keeps their stability, or is able to continue building a life in the U.S. She has said that experience shaped her understanding of how legal decisions affect real people, and of the importance of clear communication for everyone who comes before the court.
Beyond her law practice, Measho has served as a board member for both the Benton Community Foundation and Corvallis Multicultural Literacy Center. She is also a frequent guest speaker on immigrant rights and law. As a candidate, she said she would bring three core commitments to the bench: fair process for every person regardless of circumstance or background, fidelity to the law grounded in facts, and ensuring every party has a genuine opportunity to make their case.
Her campaign drew endorsements from Benton County Commissioners Gabe Shepherd and Nancy Wyse, former Benton County Commissioner Xan Augerot, Corvallis Mayor Charles Maughan, and a number of local attorneys, business owners and physicians.
Supporters also pointed to continuity between the outgoing and incoming judges on at least one front; like Demarest, Measho has said she wants to build recovery and treatment options into the court system.
What Comes Next
Measho is to be sworn in when Demarest’s term concludes in January 2027, formally taking over Position 3 on the Benton County Circuit Court bench. Her election closes out a campaign that, alongside a closely watched county commissioner race and a set of city charter amendments, drew significant attention from Benton County voters this spring.
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