Charles Hinkle Headshot
Retired Partner

Charles F. Hinkle

Overview

Charles F. Hinkle is a retired partner no longer practicing law. To connect with a litigation attorney, please click here.

Charlie Hinkle is a retired partner of Stoel Rives with extensive experience in media law, constitutional and civil rights law, public records, election law, and appellate practice. Charlie was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® (2005–06), was the first Oregon lawyer listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in the First Amendment category, and was lead counsel in many landmark decisions construing the Oregon Constitution in the areas of religious liberty, open courts, commercial speech, election law, and property rights. He has achieved important court victories for several different retailers in Oregon, Washington, California, Alaska, and Idaho regarding their right to limit public access to their property for expressive purposes. He is one of the most active and prominent cooperating attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union in Oregon. He taught constitutional law and First Amendment courses at Lewis & Clark College Law School for many years and is a frequent speaker on topics relating to those areas of the law.

Education

Yale Law School, J.D., 1971

Union Theological Seminary, M.Div., 1968, cum laude

Stanford University, B.A., 1964, with great distinction; Phi Beta Kappa

Languages

  • French

Experience

  • Public access to courts and court records: Doe v. Corp. of the Presiding Bishop, 352 Or 77, 280 P3d 377 (2012) (court exhibits relating to sex abuse allegations in Boy Scouts made available for public review); Oregonian Pub. Co. v. O’Leary, 303 Or 297, 736 P2d 173 (1987) (closed hearings in criminal trials violate Oregon Constitution); Oregonian Pub. Co. v. U.S. Dist. Court for Dist. of Oregon, 920 F2d 1462 (First Amendment guarantees access to plea bargains); State ex rel. Sports Management News v. Nachtigal, 324 Or 80, 921 P2d 1304 (1996) (secret court authorized by Trade Secrets law violates Oregon Constitution).
  • Class actions: Howard v. Crim. Info. Servs., 654 F3d 887 (9th Cir 2011) (successful defense of putative class action seeking $7 billion in damages for alleged violation of federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act).
  • Public access to private property. Stranahan v. Fred Meyer, Inc., 331 Or 38, 11 P3d 228 (2000) (successful defense of retailer’s right to bar initiative petitioning on private property); Waremart, Inc. v. Progressive Campaigns, Inc., 139 Wn2d 623, 989 P2d 524 (1999); Waremart, Inc. v. Progressive Campaigns, Inc., 102 Cal Rptr2d 392 (Cal App 2000) (same); Fred Meyer Stores, Inc. v. Garrett, 191 Or App 582, 83 P3d 925 (2004) (same).
  • Land use: Leupold & Stevens, Inc. v. City of Beaverton, 226 Or App. 374, 203 P3d 309 (2009) (successful challenge to city’s attempt to annex industrial property); Cogan v. City of Beaverton, 226 Or App 381, 203 P3d 303 (2009) (same).
  • Insurance law: Schnitzer Inv. Corp. v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s, 341 Or 128, 137 P3d 1282 (2006) (insurance company liable for certain environmental clean-up costs).
  • Commercial speech: Moser v. Frohnmayer, 315 Or 372, 845 P2d 1284 (1993) (established constitutional protection for commercial speech); Zackheim v. Forbes, 134 Or App 548, 895 P2d 793 (1995) (lawyer advertising protected by Oregon Constitution) Moser v. F.C.C., 46 F3d 970 (9th Cir 1995) (auto-dialing machines under Telephone Consumer Protection Act); Destination Ventures, Ltd. v. F.C.C., 46 F3d 54 (9th Cir 1995) (unsolicited faxes under TCPA).
  • Religious liberty: Nakashima v. Board of Education, 344 Or 497, 185 P3d 429 (2008) (Oregon School Activities Association required to accommodate students’ religious beliefs in scheduling state tournaments); Kay v. David Douglas School Dist. No. 40, 79 Or App 384, 719 P2d 875 (1986), rev’d on mootness grounds, 303 Or 574, 738 P2d 1389 (1987) (prayer at public high school graduation violates Oregon Constitution); Newport Church of Nazarene v. Hensley, 335 Or 1, 56 P3d 386 (2002) (religious liberty; terminated minister entitled to unemployment compensation).
  • Due process: Lee v. State of Or., 891 F Supp 1421 (D Or 1995), vacated 107 F3d 1382, cert den 522 US 927 (1997) (successful defense of Oregon’s “death with dignity” act).
  • Public Records and Meetings: Oregonian Publ. Co., LLC v. Waller, 253 Or App 123, 293 P3d 1046 (2012) (trial court judgment allowing access to juvenile court orders reversed on jurisdictional grounds; petition for review pending in Oregon Supreme Court (April 2013)); City of Portland v. Anderson, 163 Or App 550, 988 P2d 402 (1999) (Portland police bureau disciplinary records); Oregonian Pub. Co. v. Portland School Dist. No. 1J, 329 Or 393, 987 P2d 480 (1999) (school district employee records); Oregonian Pub. Co. v. Oregon State Bd. of Parole, 95 Or App 501, 769 P.2d 795 (1989) (Parole Board subject to public meetings law); Laine v. City of Rockaway Beach, 134 Or App 655, 896 P2d 1219 (1995) (volunteer fire department records).
  • Discrimination: Powell v. Bunn, 341 Or 306, 142 P3d 1054 (2006) (school district did not violate non-discrimination laws by allowing recruitment by group that discriminates on basis of religion because discrimination did not occur in schools); Lahmann v. Grand Aerie of Fraternal Order of Eagles, 180 Or App 420, 43 P3d 1130 (2002) (public accommodations statute applied to fraternal organization); Hardie v. Legacy Health System, 167 Or App 425, 6 P3d 531 (2000) (employment discrimination).
  • Eminent domain: Pacific Power and Light Co. v. Surprise Valley Electrification Corp., 985 F2d 573, 1993 WL 13373 (9th Cir 1993); Emerald People’s Utility Dist. v. PacifiCorp, 100 Or App 79, 784 P2d 1112 (1990).
  • Death penalty: Bryant v. Thompson, 324 Or 141, 922 P2d 1219 (1996) (challenge to Oregon’s resumption of capital punishment).
  • Gay rights: Burton v. Cascade School Dist., 353 F Supp 254 (D Or 1973), aff’d, 512 F2d 850 (9th Cir 1975) (termination of lesbian high school teacher; first gay rights case brought in Oregon); Merrick v. Board of Higher Education, 116 Or App 258, 841 P2d 646 (1992) (constitutional challenge to Oregon’s first anti-gay rights ballot measure).
  • Ballot title challenges: Mabon v. Myers, 332 Or 633, 33 P3d 988 (2001) (anti-abortion measure); Flanagan v. Myers, 332 Or 318, 30 P3d 408 (2001) (access to private property for expressive purposes); Fidanque v. Myers, 330 Or 340, 999 P2d 1140 (2000) (campaign finance reform measure); Rooney v. Kulongoski, 322 Or 77, 902 P2d 1177 (1995) (anti-gay rights measures; separation of powers issues).
  • Libel: Gardner v. Martino, 563 F.3d 981 (9th Cir 2009) (successful defense of libel action against nationally-syndicated talk-show host); Englert v. MacDonnell, 551 F3d 1099 (9th Cir 2009) (court of appeals dismissed appeal from denial of anti-SLAPP motion; Oregon legislature immediately amended statute to overrule court’s decision); Cooper v. Portland General Elec. Corp., 110 Or App 581, 824 P2d 1152 (1992) (successful defense of libel action); Overby v. Oregonian Pub. Co., Inc., 1995 WL 860298, 24 Media L. Rep. 1567 (D Or 1995) (same); McIver v. Columbia Broadcasting System, 1993 WL 463197, 21 Media L. Rep. 1854 (D Or 1993), aff’d 70 F3d 120 (9th Cir 1995) (same); Hickey v. Capital Cities/ABC, Inc., 792 F Supp 1195 (D Or 1992), aff’d, 999 F2d 543 (9th Cir 1993) (same).
  • Election law: Horton v. Multnomah County, 197 Fed Appx 635, 2006 US App LEXIS 20818 (9th Cir 2006) (successful defense of statute requiring PUD proponents to indicate fiscal impact of initiative measure to create people’s utility district).
  • Initiative and referendum: Kerr v. Bradbury, 193 Or App 304, 89 P3d 1227 (2004), dismissed on mootness grounds, 340 Or 241, 131 P3d 737 (2006) (challenge to initiative petition for violation of full text requirement of Oregon Constitution); Lehman v. Bradbury, 333 Or 231, 37 P3d 989 (2002) (successful “separate vote” challenge to term limits initiative); Kinney v. O’Connor, 139 Or App 75, 910 P2d 1161 (1996) (ACLU attempt to block election on anti-gay rights initiative); Kinney v. O’Connor, 138 Or App 255, 907 P2d 257 (1995) (same); Boytano v. Fritz, 321 Or 498, 901 P2d 835 (1995) (same)
  • Other: Wirth v. Sierra Cascade, LLC, 234 Or App 740, 230 P3d 29 (2010) (interpretation of new Oregon statute on creation of partnerships); McIntire v. Forbes, 322 Or 426, 909 P2d 846 (1996) (unsuccessful defense of statute that provided funds for light rail, challenged on single-subject grounds); Estey v. MacKenzie Engineering Inc., 324 Or 372, 927 P2d 86 (1996) (professional negligence; limitation of liability clause); Dabbs v. Silver Eagle Mfg. Co., Inc., 98 Or App 581, 779 P.2d 1104 (1989) (choice of law in products liability case); Janoff v. Gentle Dental, P.C., 163 Or App 159, 986 P2d 1278 (1999) (breach of employment contract).

Recognition

  • Hans Linde Award from Oregon Lawyer Chapter of American Constitution Society, 2012 (for lifetime commitment to civil rights)
  • First recipient of Charles F. Hinkle Award from ACLU of Oregon, 2011 (award created to honor long commitment to civil liberties)
  • City Club of Portland Award (“for outstanding contribution to club and community”)
  • Tom McCall Award (for “significant contribution to freedom of information”)
  • Mayor’s Human Rights Award
  • Wayne Morse “Roar of the Tiger” Award, Oregon Democratic Party
  • E.B. MacNaughton Award, Oregon ACLU
  • Ed Elliott Human Rights Award, Oregon Education Association
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