Meet Katina Saint Marie
A career of service to Lane County
Katina's first experience in a courtroom came before she went to college or law school. She was a young parent in a divorce case — scared, unprepared, and unsure what to expect. The judge who heard her case listened, spoke clearly, and explained his decision in a way that gave her hope. She left that courtroom knowing she had been heard and treated fairly.
That experience shaped why she became a lawyer and what kind of judge she wants to be.
Rooted in Lane County
Katina earned all three of her degrees from the University of Oregon — a Bachelor of Arts, a J.D. from the School of Law, and a Ph.D. in English Literature. She has lived, studied, practiced, and raised her family here.
Since 2007, she has spent nearly two decades in Lane County courtrooms — not in one area of law, but across the full range of cases circuit court handles every day: family law, criminal defense, child welfare proceedings, protective orders, stalking cases, and civil disputes. She has represented domestic violence survivors, children, families in crisis, and defendants facing serious charges.
The Portia Project
Earlier in her career, Katina helped build The Portia Project, serving as its General Counsel and Executive Director. The Portia Project provided legal services to incarcerated women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility — Oregon's only women's prison.
She worked with expectant mothers to identify relatives or trusted friends who could serve as guardians, so newborns could leave the hospital for prepared homes rather than foster care. That work contributed to ending the shackling of incarcerated women during labor in Oregon, as profiled in Stanford Magazine.
This is the work that defined her career — the kind of sustained service that cannot be assembled for a campaign.
Tested by Her Peers
The Oregon Supreme Court has reapproved Katina as a pro tempore circuit court judge — a judge appointed to hear cases when the court needs additional help — with no restrictions. The Presiding Judge and the local bar screening committee recommended her reapproval. That means the judges she works alongside, and the attorneys who practice in front of her, reviewed her qualifications and recommended her to serve.
The attorneys who have worked with and opposite her describe what they've seen firsthand:
“Calm, knowledgeable, and considerate. Able to cut through to the important issues. Temperament well suited to being a judge.”
— Morgan Diment
Attorney, Diment Law Office
“She maintained firm but courteous control, ensured all parties had a full and fair opportunity to be heard, and handled a high-conflict matter with composure.”
— Chelsea Payment
Attorney, Boender & Payment Attorneys
“Katina has consistently stood out as a lawyer who is serious about the work, well prepared, and respectful of the people around her.”
— Amanda Husted
Attorney, Husted Law PC, Former President of Lane County Bar Association
These are professional assessments from attorneys who have watched her practice law and preside over hearings — including opposing counsel who spent two decades arguing against her and still says she belongs on the bench.
Why She Is Running
This is the only contested judicial race in Lane County — and the first time in six years that voters have had a choice for this seat. In 2020, the incumbent ran unopposed, without filing a voters' pamphlet statement. Most voters never had the opportunity to evaluate the candidates and decide.
Katina is running because she believes the people who come to court on some of the hardest days of their lives deserve a judge who shows up prepared, listens carefully, and treats every person in the courtroom with fairness and respect.
She respects the office. She is offering voters a different record and perspective, and she is asking them to compare and decide.
Ballots begin mailing April 29, and the primary is May 19.
Support Katina's campaign for Lane County Circuit Court.