CANYON CITY – Grant County defense attorney Robert Raschio has added two associates to his legal team.

Jonathan Bartov of Texas joined Raschio’s office in mid-June, and Tim Beaubien of Burns arrived in early July.

Both said they’re glad to be on board, and are ready to help people needing public defense assistance.

Bartov graduated from Plano High School in 2001, and from the University of Texas in Austin in 2005, with bachelor’s degrees in political science and advertising, and a minor in business. He moved to New York, where he graduated from St. John’s University School of Law in 2009 and worked on Long Island in environmental defense litigation.

Bartov passed bar exams in New York and New Jersey in 2009, Texas in 2010, and Oregon in February 2014.

His first visit to Grant County was in 2009, and said from the start, he enjoyed the people and “sense of community here.”

He said he was drawn into public defense because “people accused of crimes are entitled to legal representation.”

Beaubien is a 2002 graduate of Burns High School. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in English and minors in music and medieval studies.

He moved to Ontario where he worked for the law partnership of Yturri Rose. Enjoying work in the legal field, he headed back to Notre Dame to attend law school, graduating in 2010.

He spent a semester working for the public defender’s office in St. Joseph County, Indiana, where he says he learned he liked helping people.

He returned to Eastern Oregon, again working for Yturri Rose as a legal assistant. Already licensed in Indiana and Idaho, he passed the Oregon bar exam in February 2014.

“I knew this was the kind of work I wanted to get back to,” Beaubien said.

The pair will handle misdemeanor cases, and assist with major felony ones.

Both are settling into life in Grant County, where they have a variety of interests they pursue “when we’re not busy protecting the rights of the oppressed,” Beaubien said.

Beaubien enjoys ATV-riding, working on his 1960 Chevy pickup truck, and reading, with Louis L’Amour among his favorite authors.

Bartov’s hobbies include cooking, hiking and a recently acquired enthusiasm for four-wheeling. He also enjoys spending time with friends and making new ones.

In addition to Grant County, Raschio’s office also serves Harney and Baker counties, handles general practice, wills and probates, as well as criminal defense cases.

Raschio was an associate himself to Markku Sario in Grant County, back in 2001-2002. He has spent the past 7-1/2 years doing criminal defense work in The Dalles, before returning here this past April, following Sario’s retirement.

Raschio said he always planned on adding at least one or two associates.

“I think it’s good for Grant County to have young lawyers here, who are committed to working and staying in the area,” he said. “This is the right decision for the community.”

The law office is located at 206 S. Humbolt St. in Canyon City. Call 541-575-5750 for more information.