Pedro Garcia-Balderrama, the Cornelius man accused of grabbing state Sen. Janeen Sollman's glasses at a Forest Grove constituent forum, pleaded not guilty on Aug. 14, to harassment and second-degree disorderly conduct in Washington County Circuit Court.
Judge Chris Colburn presided over the brief arraignment in Hillsboro. Garcia-Balderrama, 28, was ordered to stay at least 150 yards from Sollman, her residence, workplace and vehicle under the terms of his release, KOIN 6 reported. He is scheduled to return to court Sept. 29.
Garcia-Balderrama declined to comment after the hearing. His attorney, Ryan Corbridge of Corbridge Law Offices, said in a statement that his client entered the not-guilty plea as his right and that the incident arose at a public town-hall event involving issues of significant community concern. Corbridge asked the public and media to allow the facts to be evaluated in court.
The charges stem from an Aug. 8 confrontation at Fernhill Wetlands in Forest Grove, where Sollman was hosting a constituent forum attended by about a dozen people. According to Sollman and Forest Grove City Councilor Brian Schimmel, Garcia-Balderrama disrupted the event for roughly 10 minutes, directing profanity at attendees, before approaching Sollman and grabbing her glasses off her face and throwing them into a bush. Forest Grove police arrested him as he left, as we reported Aug. 10.
It was at least the second time law enforcement responded to concerns about Garcia-Balderrama's behavior in recent months. In June, Hillsboro police removed him from Shute Park after a disruption at a Pride event where he allegedly took someone's phone and threw it to the ground.
The confrontation was rooted in opposition to Sollman's Senate Bill 1586, which would have added roughly 1,700 acres near Hillsboro to the urban growth boundary for advanced technology industries. The bill died in committee earlier this year.
Democratic Party fallout
The arrest has deepened fractures inside Oregon's Democratic Party. State Rep. Lesly Muñoz (D-Woodburn) commented on a social media post by Washington County activist Simone Campbell, who called Sollman a "spineless COWARD," writing "Let me know how I can help!" on Aug. 8. That same day, Myrna Muñoz, who defeated Sollman in the May 2026 Democratic primary and is expected to join the Legislature in January, responded to Garcia-Balderrama's post about his jail release: "I'm glad you are ok mijo. I was so worried."
On Monday, Aug. 10, the sisters posted a joint Instagram statement: "In case it's not clear — the Muñoz way is always nonviolent! The way is always love!"
Oregon's four top legislative leaders issued a joint statement Sunday, Aug. 9, condemning political intimidation and violence. Senate Republican Leader Bruce Starr called the incident "deeply concerning" and "unacceptable."
The confrontation has intensified existing tensions inside the House Democratic caucus, which held an all-day retreat with a private mediator in July amid reported dissatisfaction with the party's direction. Myrna Muñoz's expected arrival in the Senate in January adds another layer: she is among four Democratic lawmakers and candidates backing a proposed three-year statewide moratorium on new large data centers for the 2027 legislative session.
Garcia-Balderrama's next court appearance is Sept. 29 in Washington County Circuit Court.
