Morrow County Sixth Circuit Courthouse is on schedule
By Terry Murry on Thursday, October 1st, 2026 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
HEPPNER – Morrow County will have a new courthouse for the Sixth Circuit Court next year. One person who has worked to make it a reality from the beginning is District Attorney Justin Nelson.
He was in Salem working to get state funding for the project. He worked on the design for the district attorney’s office He’s now watching crews make it become a reality.
“It’s set to be done next summer,” he said.
By then, Nelson will be about six months into his appointed term as a judge in the Sixth Circuit Court. His courtroom will be in Pendleton as he replaces retiring Judge Rob Collins.
“When I get appointed in January, I’ll never sit in that office,” he said. “I won’t be able to be in the DA office. I’ll miss out on that part. That is bittersweet.
Sixth Circuit Court judges in Hermiston and Pendleton rotate serving days in Morrow County. Nelson said Presiding Judge Eva Temple told him that he will probably not be one of those traveling judges at first since he has been so active as a prosecutor in so many cases.
The historic courthouse in Heppner remains a civic landmark. It will still stand proud, hosting county functions including justice court, the county clerk’s office and the assessor’s office. The new facility features locally quarried basalt gray brick, timber beams, and skylights. It will meet all the safety and security requirements that are needed to meet state judicial standards.
Concept drawing of the new courthouse provided by Morrow County
