State v. Ruggles

The question in this case is whether, in a prosecution for refusing “to obey a lawful order” by a police officer, ORS 162.247(l)(b), the state must prove that defendant knew that the order he refused to obey was lawful. The trial court ruled that such proof was not necessary. We agree.

The relevant facts are few and undisputed. A McMinnville police officer saw defendant, whom the officer apparently recognized, and decided to “run a status check” on him. The check revealed an outstanding warrant for defendant’s arrest. When the officer ordered defendant to stop, defendant ran away, but the…