June 2022 THE CHARBONNEAU VILLAGER 11 Former Oregon Supreme Court justice dies
Richard William Riggs died April 23 following heart disease complications
BY JAELEN OGADHOH
PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP
Richard William Riggs , a Charbonneau resident and former Oregon Supreme Court justice who held the position for eight years between 1998 and 2006 , has died at the age of 83 .
Known as “ Bill ,” the accomplished legal professional beloved by family , friends and colleagues battled bladder cancer and leukemia in recent years and was experiencing heart complications at the time of his death April 23 , according to his family .
Born Nov . 21 , 1938 in Hinsdale , Illinois , Riggs ’ family in 1950 relocated to an 80-acre farm in Hillsboro when he was 11 . Bobbie Fisher , Riggs ’ sister , said he developed a strong work ethic from a young age as the siblings helped tend to
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the animals and grow food .
Riggs graduated from Hillsboro High School and earned an undergraduate degree in history from Portland State University in 1961 .
After graduating from Portland State in 1961 , Riggs joined the U . S . Navy and was stationed in Trinidad and Tobago for two years as a junior supply corps officer before joining the Navy Reserve . He served there for over two decades until 1992 , when he retired as a captain .
While on active duty , Riggs and his first wife Sue welcomed two children , who Riggs would later raise on his own after he and Sue separated .
While in the Reserve , Riggs began to pursue a career in law and graduated from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1968 . As a private practice attorney , he served as president of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association from 1973-74 .
In 1978 , Riggs became a Multnomah County Circuit Court judge , serving 10 years until 1988 when he was appointed to the Oregon Court of Appeals . While on the appeals court in 1993 , he co-founded
the Oregon Academy of Family Law Practitioners . During this period , Riggs met and married his second wife , Jeri , and became stepfather to her two children .
Riggs ’ tenure on the state ’ s highest court began in 1998 , when then-Gov . John Kitzhaber appointed him to succeed Susan Graber as the 94th associate justice on the Oregon Supreme Court . Riggs was reappointed to the court in 2004 , the same year he married longtime friend and criminal justice attorney Diane Rader Riggs .
According to Riggs ’ family , he authored a majority opinion of the Oregon Supreme Court in State v . Guzek , appealing to the U . S . Supreme Court that capital defendants in the sentencing phase of their trial are constitutionally permitted to introduce new evidence that may prove their innocence .
Riggs retired from the state Supreme Court in 2006 , living with Diane in Charbonneau and enjoying a semi-retired life while serving as a pro-tem judge and specialist in legal arbitration and mediation .
Diane said that while Riggs “ was always accomplishing something ,” he never bragged , treating all with respect and remaining someone whose loved ones and colleagues knew they could rely upon for support .
Outside of work , Diane said Riggs was a Renaissance man with a strong passion for the arts . He played saxophone and bass in a band
COURTESY PHOTO : DIANE RADER RIGGS
Richard William Riggs
while in high school , developing a lifelong love for opera and jazz music while also honing his own talents as a singer .
Fisher said they would frequently attend ballroom dances together with their dates .
Riggs is survived by Diane , Fisher , his two children Laura and Jeff , and his two stepchildren Tamariah and Cheri . A celebration of life will be held at the Charbonneau Country Club in June , Diane said .
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Dear Charbonneau Neighbors ,
After a fast-paced primary in 2022 the election has moved onto the next phase . Clearly , the November election is , in political time , an eternity away . Today I want to stop and say thank you to everyone who stepped up to support me in so many ways and of course who voted for me . After having studied many prior elections as it pertains to Charbonneau , I can tell you that we as a community are fully engaged . That makes me very proud to be counted among you all . The challenges that face us as a state and country are very serious and require deep corrective action from our political leaders . Now that I have joined the fight to serve the interests of the people of Oregon , I can assure you in the words of John Paul Jones , “ I have not yet begun to fight .”
God bless you all and best wishes as we move together into the future .
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