August 6, 2018

Josh A. Pickering
Clatsop County Jail
636 Duane Street
Astoria, OR 97103

Re: Subject: LDD 1801227

Ronald Brown (Josh A. Pickering)
Dear Josh Pickering:
The Oregon State Bar has received your complaint regarding Ronald Brown, the deputy district
attorney who has prosecuted you in a criminal matter. The Client Assistance Office (CAO) is responsible
for reviewing concerns regarding Oregon lawyers. Under Bar Rule of Procedure 2.5 and as resources
permit, CAO determines the manner and extent of review required to decide whether there is sufficient
evidence to support a reasonable belief that misconduct may have occurred warranting a referral to
Disciplinary Counsel. Misconduct means a violation of the rules of professional conduct and applicable
statutes that govern lawyer conduct in Oregon.
You contend that Mr. Brown has pursued charges which lack evidence, relies upon information
you deem unreliable and is not properly investigating the crimes you are alleged to have committed.
The Client Assistance Office is not the proper forum to challenge the criminal charges filed against you.
What you have provided is not sufficient evidence for us to reach any reasonable belief that Mr. Brown
may have committed misconduct.
Because we find no professional misconduct, we will take no further action on this matter. If you
disagree with this disposition, you may have the matter reviewed by General Counsel, provided we
receive your request for review in writing no later than August 27, 2018. The decision of General
Counsel is final.
Yours,

Linn D. Davis
Assistant General Counsel
Ext. 332

LDD/knc
No attachment
cc w/attach: Ronald Brown, Attorney at Law

Email submissions to: cao@osbar.org Use subject line: LDD 1801227

 August 15, 2018

Ronald Brown
Attorney at Law
rbrown@co.clatsop.or.us

Re: Subject: LDD 1801227

Ronald Brown (Josh A. Pickering)
Dear Ronald Brown:
Attached is correspondence we have received from Josh Pickering in connection with his
concerns about your conduct. As you know, we dismissed his complaint because we did not find
that any ethical violation had occurred. However, in this most recent letter, Mr. Pickering
expresses his intent to appeal that decision.
Please review the attachment; if there is any additional information you wish to have us
consider regarding this matter, please provide it no later than September 5, 2018. Please
address your response to me.
This matter will then be submitted to General Counsel for further review. After General
Counsel has reviewed the matter, we will notify you and Mr. Pickering of the action taken.
Yours,

Linn D. Davis
Assistant General Counsel
Ext. 332

LDD/jmm
Attachment
cc w/o encl: Josh A. Pickering
03a1

Email submissions to: cao@osbar.org Use subject line: LDD 1801227

 September 12, 2018

Josh A. Pickering
Clatsop County Jail
636 Duane Street
Astoria, OR 97103

Re: Subject: LDD 1801227

Ronald Brown (Josh A. Pickering)
Dear Josh Pickering:
Ronald Brown did not elect to send further information in response to your request for
review of my decision. This matter is being submitted to General Counsel for review. We do not
require any further information at this point. Additional information submitted to us will be
included in the file for General Counsel review, but may not be copied to the parties. General
Counsel may seek further information as needed and will contact both parties in that event.
When the matter has been reviewed, we will notify you and Mr. Brown of the action
taken by General Counsel.
Yours,

Linn D. Davis
Assistant General Counsel
Ext. 332

LDD/jmm
cc: Ronald Brown, Attorney at Law
03e
 November 27, 2023

Josh Pickering
Clatsop County Jail
636 Duane Street
Astoria, OR 97103

Re: Subject: LDD 1801227

Ronald Brown (Josh Pickering)
Dear Mr. Pickering:
General Counsel’s Office has reviewed your complaint regarding the conduct of Ronald
Brown. At this time, I write to affirm the Client Assistance Office’s dismissal of your complaint.
The Client Assistance Office reviews inquiries about attorney conduct. The Client
Assistance Office must determine whether the attorney conduct described and the evidence
presented support a reasonable belief that ethical misconduct has occurred within the meaning
of the rules that govern attorneys. When General Counsel’s Office receives an appeal, our review
applies the same standard.
In this instance, I do not find sufficient evidence of ethical misconduct to warrant further
investigation by disciplinary counsel. Further, I agree with the reasoning set forth in the Client
Assistance Office’s letter dismissing this complaint.
For these reasons, I affirm the dismissal of this complaint. The Oregon State Bar’s file
concerning your complaint is now closed.
Very truly yours,

Amber Hollister
General Counsel

cc: Ronald Brown, Attorney at Law (rbrown@co.clatsop.or.us)

Email submissions to: gc@osbar.org Use subject line: LDD 1801227