Oregon judge under fire for swearing in SECOND GRADERS as jurors in a hit-and-run case in which the suspect got off

A judge has come under fire for telling a group of young children visiting an Oregon court that they could 'decide what happened' in a real-life hit-and-run case, which ended with the person standing trial being acquitted.

Judge Ulanda Watkins, of Clackamas County Circuit Court, is said to have selected the second graders - aged between seven and eight-years-old - as 'special jurors' for the trial, which took place this past April. 

The students, who were on a field trip from St John the Apostle school in Oregon City - around a 10-minute walk away - were allowed to sit in the jury box, just feet away from the defendant and were given note pads, just like a real-life sworn jury would receive, Oregon Live reports.

They were also told they could interrupt a witness if they couldn't hear them. 

At one point, Watkins is said to have wondered aloud if the children knew how to write. 

Christa Doerbeck, a certified law student from Lewis & Clark Law School, who was on the prosecution team, was then asked by the judge to give her opening statement to the schoolchildren and share the state's exhibits with them. 

Samuel Varvara, 56, who represented himself, was on trial for failing to perform the duties of a driver in an accident that involved property damage. 

He was accused of leaving without exchanging insurance details after damaging the side view mirror of a woman's car.

Doerbeck subsequently alerted prosecutors in the office of the District Attorney (DA) about what was happening and the youngsters were removed.

Varvara was acquitted.

Now just weeks after the unusual court proceedings, Clackamas County DA John Wentworth has written to Judge Michael Wetzel, the county's presiding judge, raising his concerns over whether it was a fair trial for all parties. 

In a letter dated 3 June, seen by Oregon Live, Wentworth wrote: 'There was no inquiry of either party as to whether they consented to this process, or consideration given to the victim, who was equally confused by what was taking place.'

On the acquittal of Varvara, Wentworth wrote: 'We can say with almost 100% certainty that had the defendant been found guilty, his conviction would have been overturned.'

He added that the victim, who is a schoolteacher, felt the proceedings were 'unprofessional and confusing.'  

Wentworth has shared his concerns with Oregon's chief justice, Meagan Flynn.

She told him that Judge Watkins 'takes seriously her relationship with the litigants who regularly appear in the courts and her reputation for fairness, as do we all.' 

Judge Watkins was appointed to the bench in July 2017 by former Governor Kate Brown and ran unopposed in the May primary.

According to a biography, Watkins, who is originally from Portland,  is the only judge of color in Clackamas County, as well as the first African American to serve as a judge in an Oregon county other than Multnomah. 

She was formerly a defence lawyer and managing attorney at insurance company GEICO. 

Judge Watkins was in the headlines in recent months after grieving mother Cathie Psaros said the 'system' had failed her daughter after she, her fiancee and son were killed by the victim's abusive ex-husband.

Diane Psaros had applied for a restraining order against Lawrence Peters in 2022, but  Judge Watkins denied the request in a four-minute hearing, Katu reports.