Joshua Marquis
Encyclopedia
Joshua Marquis is an attorney and politician from Astoria
, Oregon
in the United States. He has served as District Attorney
for Clatsop County
since 1994. He frequently writes and speaks about capital punishment
. He is known for his belief that the death penalty is justified in some cases. He is often quoted as a spokesperson on behalf of the National District Attorneys Association.
. He later served deputy District Attorney for Lincoln
and Lane
counties, and then as chief deputy district attorney for Deschutes
and Lincoln counties.
after his predecessor was convicted and disbarred
for gross prosecutorial misconduct.
Marquis was elected in 1994 and reelected in 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010.
Marquis served as a superdelegate
to the 1996 Democratic National Convention
.
In 1995 Marquis received ALDF's "Jolene Malone Aggressive Enforcement Award" in recognition of his work on a particularly difficult animal abuse case and in 2006 was the recipient of the Association of Government Attorneys in Capital Litigation's William J. Schaefer Award.
and numerous other articles that were cited by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
in his concurrence in the Supreme Court's decision in Kansas v. Marsh
.
Marquis worked as a reporter for the Los Angeles Daily Journal in the early 1980s and the speechwriter to California Attorney General John Van de Kamp
in the mid-'80s.
Marquis authors a blog which features a list of published articles and commentaries, including book reviews commissioned by the Wall Street Journal of Sebastian Junger's A Death in Belmont and John Grisham's The Innocent Man
.
Marquis is often solicited to write articles on the death penalty such as the lead article in a special section published by the Los Angeles Times prior to the execution of Stanley "Tookie" Williams.
In October 2011 Marquis was one of four panelists invited to discuss capital punishment at the NEW YORKER FESTIVAL on a panel that also included Innocence Project founder Barry Scheck,death penalty opponent Danalynn Recer, and crime victim's advocate Marc Klass. CNN's Jeffrey Toobin moderated the event at the Directors Guild Theater in New York City. http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/rCZKI8FyKWe/2011+New+Yorker+Festival+Capital+Punishment/hQUaoXtFsUl
. and was elected in August 2009 to the American Bar Association
's Criminal Justice leadership Council for a three year term.http://www.abanet.org/crimjust/leadership.html
Marquis is an outspoken prosecutor who is frequently asked to "special prosecute" conflict of interest cases for other District Attorneys. He has successfully prosecuted a Benton County
lawyer, a former courtroom rival, and the 1985 case in which Marquis defeated famed defense attorney Gerry Spence
, which became the subject of Spence's 2003 book, The Smoking Gun.
In addition to having worked for more than six years as a jazz disc jockey at KMUN-FM, since 1994 Marquis has also played the cameo role of the Sheriff in the community play Shanghaied In Astoria
.
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
in the United States. He has served as District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
for Clatsop County
Clatsop County, Oregon
Clatsop County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for the Clatsop tribe of Native Americans, who lived along the coast of the Pacific Ocean prior to European settlement. As of 2010, the population was 37,039. The county seat is Astoria.-Economy:The principal...
since 1994. He frequently writes and speaks about capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
. He is known for his belief that the death penalty is justified in some cases. He is often quoted as a spokesperson on behalf of the National District Attorneys Association.
Early career
Marquis earned a law degree from the University of OregonUniversity of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
. He later served deputy District Attorney for Lincoln
Lincoln County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge*Siuslaw National Forest -Demographics:...
and Lane
Lane County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siuslaw National Forest *Umpqua National Forest *Willamette National Forest -Government:...
counties, and then as chief deputy district attorney for Deschutes
Deschutes County, Oregon
-National protected areas:* Deschutes National Forest * Newberry National Volcanic Monument-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 115,367 people, 45,595 households, and 31,962 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile . There were 54,583...
and Lincoln counties.
Clatsop County District Attorney
He was appointed District Attorney in Clatsop County by then-Governor Barbara RobertsBarbara Roberts
Barbara Kay Roberts is an American politician from the state of Oregon. A native of the state, she served as the 34th Governor of Oregon from 1991 to 1995. She is the first and, to date, only woman to be elected to that office. A Democrat, Roberts was also the first woman to serve as majority...
after his predecessor was convicted and disbarred
Disbarment
Disbarment is the removal of a lawyer from a bar association or the practice of law, thus revoking his or her law license or admission to practice law...
for gross prosecutorial misconduct.
Marquis was elected in 1994 and reelected in 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010.
Marquis served as a superdelegate
Superdelegate
"Superdelegate" is an informal term commonly used for some of the delegates to the Democratic National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the United States Democratic Party....
to the 1996 Democratic National Convention
1996 Democratic National Convention
The 1996 Democratic National Convention of the was held at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois from August 26 to August 29, 1996. Incumbent Democrat Bill Clinton was renominated for President of United States.-Site selection:...
.
In 1995 Marquis received ALDF's "Jolene Malone Aggressive Enforcement Award" in recognition of his work on a particularly difficult animal abuse case and in 2006 was the recipient of the Association of Government Attorneys in Capital Litigation's William J. Schaefer Award.
Noted advocate of retaining the death penalty
Marquis coauthored Debating the Death Penalty,and numerous other articles that were cited by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
Antonin Scalia
Antonin Gregory Scalia is an American jurist who serves as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. As the longest-serving justice on the Court, Scalia is the Senior Associate Justice...
in his concurrence in the Supreme Court's decision in Kansas v. Marsh
Kansas v. Marsh
Kansas v. Marsh, 548 U.S. 163 , is a case decided by the United States Supreme Court. The Court held that a Kansas death penalty statute was consistent with the U.S...
.
Marquis worked as a reporter for the Los Angeles Daily Journal in the early 1980s and the speechwriter to California Attorney General John Van de Kamp
John Van de Kamp
John Kalar Van de Kamp is an American politician. He served as Los Angeles County District Attorney from 1975 until 1981, and then as 28th Attorney General of California from 1983 until 1991....
in the mid-'80s.
Marquis authors a blog which features a list of published articles and commentaries, including book reviews commissioned by the Wall Street Journal of Sebastian Junger's A Death in Belmont and John Grisham's The Innocent Man
The Innocent Man
The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town is a nonfiction book written by John Grisham, and his first outside the legal fiction genre. He tells the story of Ronald 'Ron' Keith Williamson of Ada, Oklahoma, a former minor league baseball player who was convicted in 1988 of the rape and...
.
Marquis is often solicited to write articles on the death penalty such as the lead article in a special section published by the Los Angeles Times prior to the execution of Stanley "Tookie" Williams.
In October 2011 Marquis was one of four panelists invited to discuss capital punishment at the NEW YORKER FESTIVAL on a panel that also included Innocence Project founder Barry Scheck,death penalty opponent Danalynn Recer, and crime victim's advocate Marc Klass. CNN's Jeffrey Toobin moderated the event at the Directors Guild Theater in New York City. http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/rCZKI8FyKWe/2011+New+Yorker+Festival+Capital+Punishment/hQUaoXtFsUl
Other activities
Marquis also served on Oregon's Criminal Justice Commission from 2005 to 2009, serves as vice chair of the Animal Legal Defense FundAnimal Legal Defense Fund
The Animal Legal Defense Fund is an American non-profit law organization that aims to protect the rights and advance the interests of animals through the legal system. It was founded in 1979 by attorneys active in shaping the emerging field of animal law. The ALDF has campaigned for stronger...
. and was elected in August 2009 to the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
's Criminal Justice leadership Council for a three year term.http://www.abanet.org/crimjust/leadership.html
Marquis is an outspoken prosecutor who is frequently asked to "special prosecute" conflict of interest cases for other District Attorneys. He has successfully prosecuted a Benton County
Benton County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Siuslaw National Forest *William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 78,153 people, 30,145 households, and 18,237 families residing in the county. The population density was 116 people per square mile . There were 31,980...
lawyer, a former courtroom rival, and the 1985 case in which Marquis defeated famed defense attorney Gerry Spence
Gerry Spence
Gerry Spence is a trial lawyer in the United States. In 2008, he announced he would retire, at age 79, at the end of the Geoffrey Fieger trial in Detroit, MI. Spence states that he "has never lost a criminal case either as a prosecutor or a defense attorney...
, which became the subject of Spence's 2003 book, The Smoking Gun.
In addition to having worked for more than six years as a jazz disc jockey at KMUN-FM, since 1994 Marquis has also played the cameo role of the Sheriff in the community play Shanghaied In Astoria
Shanghaied in Astoria
Shanghaied In Astoria is a musical melodrama that is performed by the Astor Street Opry Company every summer in Astoria, Oregon, United States. It has run since 1984, and has been attended by over 55,000 people. Traditionally the play is performed three days a week from July to September...
.
External links
- Official web site of Clatsop County District Attorney
- CoastDA blog