Judge Merten is known for having little to no sympathy for minority victims of crimes committed by whites. He once threw out an unanimous jury decision of false arrest in favor of 2 black teenagers the EPD mistook for a 30 year old Mexican bank robber with tattoos and a pony tail. The kids looked like the Fresh Prince of Belair with fade hair cuts and track gear while on their way to South Eugene H.S. for track practice. It was an all white jury. All blacks were kicked out of the jury pool. Merten lost to a united panel of 3 Oregon appeals court judges in the State court appeals in Salem. The City paid more than $20,000 for violating their Constitutional rights. Fortunately, they are both college graduates and tax paying citizens today.