Ray Crutchley

Raymond Crutchley JD ’99 was appointed to the Deschutes County circuit court by Governor Kate Brown JD ’85, filling a vacancy left by Judge Alta Brady’s retirement. Crutchley is the first African American to serve as an Oregon judge east of the Cascades, the governor’s office noted in its announcement. Born and raised in Jamaica, he immigrated to New York at age 11 with his mother. Crutchley served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1988 to 1992. Following his honorable discharge, he completed a bachelor’s degree at Queens College in 1995. After a judicial clerkship with Clackamas County Circuit Judge Raymond Bagley Jr., Crutchley practiced law in Northeast Portland and Hillsboro for more than a decade, representing underserved clients in criminal defense and civil matters. He has prosecuted criminal cases as a Deschutes County deputy district attorney since 2015.