> run ./grievances
Where to File a Grievance
A directory of official oversight and complaint channels for Bend, Deschutes County, and the State of Oregon. Each agency below handles a specific kind of grievance — against attorneys, judges, law enforcement, or public officials. Filing a complaint with a government oversight body is lawful civic participation; the contacts listed here are public information published by the agencies themselves.
This page is informational and is not legal advice. Read each agency's own notes carefully before filing — some processes are public record and notify the person you are complaining about.
1 · Attorneys & Legal Professionals
Oregon State Bar — Client Assistance Office (CAO)
Purpose: The primary department responsible for reviewing complaints and ethical concerns regarding licensed Oregon attorneys. If an attorney has violated the Oregon Rules of Professional Conduct, the CAO conducts the initial evaluation.
Critical note: The bar's review process is not confidential. All submissions are public record, and a complete copy of your grievance will be sent directly to the attorney in question for their response.
Contact:
- Email: CAO@osbar.org
- Phone: (503) 431-6480 or (800) 452-8260
- Address: Client Assistance Office, PO Box 231935, Tigard, OR 97281
Professional Liability Fund (PLF)
Purpose: If your grievance with a lawyer involves monetary loss due to professional malpractice or negligence, the PLF processes financial malpractice claims against legal licensees.
Contact:
2 · Judges & the Court System
Oregon Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability (CJFD)
Purpose: An independent constitutional body that investigates complaints of judicial misconduct or ethical violations committed by Oregon state judges — including circuit court judges, appellate judges, and justices of the peace.
Limitations: The commission handles violations of the Oregon Code of Judicial Conduct. It cannot review or reverse a judge's purely legal decisions or rulings — those must be addressed through the formal legal appeals process. It also lacks jurisdiction over municipal court judges or federal judges.
Contact:
3 · Law Enforcement & State Civil Rights Failures
Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ) — Civil Rights Division
Purpose: Headed by the state Attorney General, the DOJ reviews systemic civil rights abuses, bias incidents, and violations of state sanctuary or anti-discrimination frameworks.
Contact:
City of Bend Police Department — Internal Accountability
Purpose: For localized misconduct, excessive force, or procedural failures by municipal officers inside Bend, formal complaints must be initiated directly with the department's internal administration.
Contact:
4 · City of Bend Leadership & Administration
City of Bend Manager's Office (Eric King)
Purpose: As City Manager, Eric King acts as the chief executive officer for municipal operations. His office exercises direct administrative oversight over all city departments, including Public Safety (the Bend Police Department) and administration. Grievances regarding executive execution, systemic department failures, or employee misconduct land here.
Contact:
Bend City Council
Purpose: The City Council is the elected legislative body that sets local policy, ordinances, and appoints the City Manager. Grievances submitted to councilors are best focused on policy failures, overarching structural gaps, or accountability issues regarding their appointed executives.
Contact: Councilors can be reached collectively via public-comment protocols during local business meetings at City Hall, or through the city's general administration contact line.
City of Bend Fraud & Ethics Hotline (EthicsPoint)
Purpose: If your grievance with city administration involves specific fraud, waste, abuse, or serious ethical-code violations by city employees or officials, the city coordinates with an independent third party to intake confidential reports.
Contact:
5 · Regional County Administration
Deschutes County Board of Commissioners (BOCC)
Purpose: The BOCC is the primary governing authority for regional county operations. It controls county funding allocations, oversees general county departments (such as Adult Parole & Probation or Community Development), and sets broader legislative frameworks for areas outside city limits.
Current board: Commissioners Patti Adair, Phil Chang, and Anthony DeBone.
Contact:
- Email: board@deschutes.org
- Phone: (541) 388-6570
- Address: 1300 NW Wall Street, 2nd Floor, Bend, OR 97703
6 · Abuse of Public Office & Ethical Malfeasance
Oregon Government Ethics Commission (OGEC)
Purpose: If your grievance involves a local public official (including city managers, city councilors, or county commissioners) using their public office for prohibited personal financial gain, violating conflict-of-interest statutes, or violating the Oregon Public Meetings Law, the OGEC is the specialized statewide enforcement agency.
Procedural prerequisite: For Public Meetings Law violations, you are required to first file a formal written grievance directly to the offending local public body within 30 days of the violation, giving them 21 days to respond before the state will open an active file.
Contact:
