Many in our community have been following the saga of bringing Michael Bivins to trial for his bias crimes - in Spring 2022, Bivins set fire to the Muslim Community Center of Portland with congregants inside of it, shattered windows of Congregation Shir Tikvah and Everybody Eats PDX, and spray painted “Die Juden” on Congregation Beth Israel. He is also believed to be responsible for an additional arson , but has not been charged for that act.
At long last, his trial to determine guilt for the charged crimes is set to begin Monday, July 7, and will likely run through Thursday or Friday, July 10 or 11.
We are encouraging community attendance at the trial to support the victims of his crimes, demonstrate the community’s attention to the jury and, of course, to show our opposition to bias crimes. Witnesses will probably begin testifying on Tuesday, July 8. Monday will likely be a mix of pre-trial motions, jury selection, and possibly opening statements.
The trial will take place at the Multnomah County Courthouse, located at 1200 SW 1st Ave. in Portland, with the trial generally going from 9am-5pm with a lunch break of noon - 1:30pm. Courtrooms are open to the public, and you are welcome to come and go as your schedule allows.
There may be some media there. With the court's permission, media can film/take photos of what is happening in the courtroom, but they are typically focused on the actual action in the courtroom and not on observers.
If you’re interested in attending the trial and want to share with victims when you might be there, please feel free to let them know through this Doodle calendar. (https://doodle.com/sign-up-sheet/participate/05942127-c71a-437b-bc51-b6939fa9995c/select) It’s anonymous, and you don’t have to share any personal information.
If Bivins is convicted, the sentencing hearing will likely follow weeks or months later. The sentencing hearing is a critical stage, and community participation will be vitally important. The Community Impact Statement that many community members anonymously signed will be presented to the court at that time, and the judge will hear about the impact on the community from affected members. Please consider signing the Community Impact Statement, and feel free to pass it on to others. You can also sign up to be notified about the sentencing dates following the trial at docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe2y1qyaKMtfFhrrCKd0qagnl_ql0N9GGuX0vTgseSmqRW6XQ/viewform
Reporting remains critical in stopping bias crimes, and we know incidents are underreported. Please report and encourage others to do so as well. Incidents can be reported on the JFGP Security page at jewishportland.org/security or to me directly at [email protected]. Resources for victims can also be found through the Oregon Department of Justice’s Non-Emergency Bias Response Hotline at 1-844-924-2427 or report online at justice.oregon.gov/CrimeReporting/BiasCrime