Know Your Rights

Oregon is a sanctuary state, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers are active here. Those in Oregon have rights no matter their status and there are several resources that can help people understand their rights and navigate interactions.

ACLU Oregon has several easy-to-understand video tutorials and handouts—including local legal resources—in multiple languages. The Oregon Law Center has put together Protect Your Family packets on preparing for any unexpected event in both English and Spanish. While not Oregon specific, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center has more guides in multiple languages.

Anyone can report ICE activity to the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition (PIRC) hotline: 1-888-622-1510 and ICE maintains a locator database that is updated every day. 

Changes to Notary Public in the Library

Deschutes Public Library has been offering free, drop-in notary public services for almost two years thanks to the generous support of our volunteers. Starting in April, we are updating the days and times the notaries will be available: the second Friday of the month from 9:30-11am and the third Monday of the month from 11:30am-1pm.

Otherwise, the program remains the same. The notary will sign up to two personal documents per appointment. This service is not intended for commercial businesses nor real estate transactions. Participants need to bring a valid, government-issued photo I.D., all filled-in but unsigned documents, and any required witnesses who must know the signee and also have photo I.D.

Find full details on our public calendar.

I Need the Form for...

One of the most common things we hear at the reference desk is, “I need the form for…” Unfortunately, Oregon has very few template forms as many legal issues are too complex and nuanced to fit into a strict template. The flip side, of course, is that it’s difficult for laypeople to know how to craft a legal document, hence the repeated questions for forms.

So, where does one find what they need? The first thing to do is to see if an official court form exists at Deschutes County Circuit Court, the Oregon Judicial Department or whichever municipal court you may be dealing with. Next, try the print materials we have such as these and this and these for sample forms. You can also access online samples using our BarBooks subscription (call 541-617-7080 for access) or Gale Legal Forms. The publisher Stevens-Ness sells Oregon legal forms that you can purchase from their website.

One big caveat here: if you’re using sample forms from any non-court resource, your best bet is to run them by a lawyer to ensure they are going to be valid in the Oregon court where you’re filing them.