Opinion ID: 3065127
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Oregon’s “Judicial Department”

Text: Whether a particular state entity is a program or activity receiving federal financial assistance within the meaning of section 504, though itself “a question of federal law[,] . . . can be answered only after considering the provisions of state law SHARER v. STATE OF OREGON 13699 that define the agency’s character.” Regents of Univ. of Cal. v. Doe, 519 U.S. 425, 429 n.5 (1997) (discussing whether an agency is “an arm of the State” for Eleventh Amendment sovereign immunity purposes); see also Haybarger, 551 F.3d at 201 (“[t]hough not dispositive, a State’s characterization of an entity under state law is significant” in determining whether that entity is a “program or activity” under section 504). Therefore, we look to the state constitutional and statutory regime governing OPDS to determine whether it is, for section 504 purposes, a “program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” [4] Sharer contends that OPDS, together with Oregon’s state courts and their administrative apparatus, comprise a uniform “judicial department” organized under Article III of the Oregon Constitution. This article provides that “[t]he powers of Government shall be divided into three separate [sic] departments, the Legislative, the Executive, including the administrative, and the Judicial.” Or. Const. art. III, § 1 (emphasis added). Defendants concede that Oregon’s judicial branch of government receives federal financial assistance. It follows from this concession that, insofar as OPDS is organized under the State’s judicial branch, and that branch should be considered a unitary “department” or “agency” for section 504 purposes, Sharer would be entitled to pursue her disability discrimination claim. See 29 U.S.C. § 794(b)(1)(A). [5] During the relevant period, OPDS was located within the judicial branch of Oregon’s government. A 2001 Oregon session law reorganizing the State’s public defender system established a Public Defense Services Commission (“Commission”) “in the judicial branch of state government,” Or. Rev. Stat. § 151.213(1), and charged the Commission with establishing the OPDS “to carry out the administrative policies and procedures for the public defense system,” id. §§ 151.216(1)(b), 151.211(5). See 2001 Or. Laws ch. 962.2 2 Although portions of the 2001 session law did not become effective until October 1, 2003, all portions relevant to this analysis were operative as of October 1, 2001. See 2001 Or. Laws ch. 962, § 15. 13700 SHARER v. STATE OF OREGON Thus, OPDS was established within Oregon’s “judicial department” — that is, the judicial branch of Oregon’s government — as the administrative arm of the Commission. It does not follow, however, that Oregon’s judicial “department” of government comprises a unitary “department” or “agency” within the meaning of section 504. Oregon’s statutes draw a distinction between the State’s “judicial department” (lower case), which refers to the judicial branch of government in its entirety, and the “Judicial Department” (upper case), which refers to the predominant administrative agency within the judicial branch. Section 1.002(1), for example, provides that the Oregon Supreme Court “is the highest judicial tribunal of the judicial department of government in this state,” but that the Chief Justice may “[s]et staffing levels for all courts of the state operating under the Judicial Department and for all operations in the Judicial Department,” “[e]stablish budgets for the Judicial Department and all courts operating under the Judicial Department” and “[a]ssign or reassign all court staff of courts operating under the Judicial Department.” Or. Rev. Stat. § 1.002(1) (emphasis added). Similarly, section 8.125 provides that “[t]he State Court Administrator shall, to the extent directed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court . . . [s]upervise and maintain the law libraries of the judicial department of government of this state,” but that he or she shall “[e]nter into contracts on behalf of the Judicial Department.” Id. § 8.125.3 Oregon’s statutes also make clear that the Commission and the Judicial Department are distinct administrative entities. A statute pertaining to the State’s financial administration, for example, defines “state agency” to include “the courts and their officers and committees . . ., at their option,” and — separately — “the Public Defense Services Commission, at the option of the 3 Reenforcing this distinction, the Oregon Governor’s 2005-2007 recommended budget for the state, defines the “Judicial Department” to include, among other things, the operations of the courts and the State Court Administrator, but not the Commission. SHARER v. STATE OF OREGON 13701 commission.” Id. § 291.030. Another statute authorizes the state treasurer to establish “procedures for the efficient handling of cash and cash equivalents under the control of the . . . the Judicial Department” and — again, separately — “the Public Defense Services Commission.” Id. § 293.875(1). Because the Commission (of which OPDS is a subunit) and the Judicial Department are distinct entities within Oregon’s judicial branch, we next must consider whether these entities are sufficiently independent from one another to constitute separate “department[s]” or “agenc[ies]” under section 504. Cf. Haybarger, 551 F.3d at 202 (holding that parole officer employed by a “subunit” of a Pennsylvania state judicial district could bring a claim under section 504 because a different subunit within the district received federal funds); Thomlison v. City of Omaha, 63 F.3d 786, 789 (8th Cir. 1995) (holding that an employee of public safety department’s “Fire Division” could bring a section 504 claim where the department’s “Police Division” received federal funds). Oregon’s statutes demonstrate that these entities, though part of the same branch of government, have distinct funding sources and administrative apparatuses. With regard to their funding, the Commission is financed through an account in the State’s “General Fund,” Or. Rev. Stat. § 151.225(1), whereas the Judicial Department is financed through an “Operating Account” in the State Treasury that is “separate and distinct from the General Fund.” Id. § 1.009(1). In terms of their administration, the Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court is “the administrative head of the judicial department of government,” including OPDS. Id. § 1.002(1). The Chief Justice’s statutory authority over the Commission, however, is considerably more circumscribed than his authority over the Judicial Department. The Chief Justice is authorized to appoint the seven members of Commission, and serves as a nonvoting, ex officio member. See id. § 151.213(2). “Except for the appointment or removal of commission members,” however, “the commission and employees of the commission are not subject to the exercise of administrative authority and supervision by 13702 SHARER v. STATE OF OREGON the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court as the administrative head of the Judicial Department.” Id. § 151.213(1). By contrast, the Chief Justice’s broad authority over the Judicial Department includes the power to establish its budgets, set its staffing levels and “[a]ssign or reassign all court staff.” Id. § 1.002(1). [6] In light of the Judicial Department and Commission’s distinct funding sources and administration, we conclude that the entities are not “linked . . . by virtue of their status under [Oregon] law.” Haybarger, 551 F.3d at 202. Unlike the “subunits” of government considered in Haybarger, the Commission is “independent” from the Judicial Department in terms of its administrative structure, and the judicial branch’s federal funds “are [not] imputed” to the Commission. Id. We therefore hold that the Commission — and hence OPDS — is not a “program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance” within the meaning of section 504 simply by virtue of the Judicial Department’s receipt of federal funds.