LINCOLN CITY — The Honorable Judge Arnold Poole convenes court twice a month in the ominously-named Violations Bureau at city hall, where more than a thousand defendants stood before the ex-Marine officer in 2025.

Fidgeting and gripped with anxiety, many were relieved to learn Judge Poole would rather help people than hang them, metaphorically. A former defense attorney who spent 36 years helping people get out of jams, he often looks for ways to reduce a fine, clean up a record or give back a driver’s license.

“A lot of times a license is suspended and they don’t know why — they missed court in this city or that — and we say ‘here’s what you have to do to get it back,’” Poole told city councilors recently. “We explain how they can get a hardship license, a license that’s available to everybody, and we’ll set them up on a payment plan.”

If a fine is “jacked up to the maximum amount,” Poole may reduce it on the spot. “I’ve never understood that,” he complained.

Lincoln City’s municipal court, open Mon.-Wed. 8 a.m.-4 p.m., handles minor traffic tickets issued by LCPD officers, and zoning code and short-term rental violations. The judge is appointed by the city council for an indefinite period.

According to city records, the municipal court brought in $142,615 in fiscal year 2024-25, earning a tidy $24,000 profit after $119,000 in expenses. July was the busiest month, with 216 violations issued to 177 offenders; March was the slowest, with 81 tickets issued to 52 people. Parking tickets lead the list of violations with a 63 percent increase in 2025.

“A lot of that has to do with the really narrow streets in Lincoln City,” said Poole, who rises at 5 a.m. to get to Lincoln City from his home in Albany. “When there’s not enough room to get an ambulance through, that’s when you get a ticket.”

Judge Poole also serves on the bench in the cities of Toledo, Dundee and McMinnville. There’s a big difference in Lincoln City, where people actually look forward to their rendezvous with justice.

“We have a fairly active court that’s pretty full,” reflected Judge Poole, who took his law degree at Willamette University in 1988. “In other courts you’ll have 20 cases on the docket and six people will show up. We’ll have 40 cases in Lincoln City and 35 show up. People drive from all over to appear. They like a day off.”

But Judge Poole is no softie. Under city law, Chapter VI, he has the authority to order arrests, send scofflaws to jail, compel witnesses to show and issue search warrants.

“Sometimes we have to get stern and suspend their license if they fail to appear the next month,” he told town elders. “But get others into traffic class and dismiss the charges. We want everybody to have a driver’s license and insurance, but with some folks we just have to suggest that an electric bike costs less than a ticket.”

For information about the court or to make a payment call 541-996-1217.

VIOLATIONS, (2024) 2025
Parking, (283) 428
Driving Uninsured, (190) 67
Suspended Driving, (138) 167
Registration Prob., (81) 90
Driving w/Cellphone, (68) 36
License Plate Prob., (48) 53
Accidents w/Viol., (38) 31
Careless Driving, (33) 33
Code Violations, (27) 24
Lighting Prob., (16) 8
Imp. Lane Change, (15) 8
Altered Lic. Plate, (15) 16
Open Container, (4) 2
TOTAL VIOLATIONS (1,398) 1,598