How do I ask the court to excuse or defer my jury service?
The jury summons will tell you how you can request to be excused or defer your jury service. Only the court can defer or excuse your jury service. The central administrative office cannot defer or excuse your jury service.
I received a summons, but I no longer live in Oregon. What do I do?
If you have moved out of state and receive a summons, immediately send the court your updated address information and ask to be excused.
The Oregon Judicial Department uses a list based on information from the Oregon Division of Motor Vehicles (driver license and ID card information) and the Secretary of State (voter registration information). After contacting the court, please update your address information with Oregon Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). DMV has a form available that updates your address. This form also updates your voter’s registration. This is the best way to ensure that you do not receive a summons in the future.
What kind of criminal background makes someone ineligible to serve on a jury?
A person is ineligible to serve if the person has had rights and privileges withdrawn and not yet restored under ORS 137.281. ORS 137.281 explains that someone’s rights and privileges, including that of being a juror, are withdrawn if the person has been sentenced to incarceration in a county jail, a state prison, or a federal prison because of a felony sentence, and
•the conviction has not been set aside or
•the person has not been discharged.
If the conviction is later set aside or once the person is discharged, the person can serve
•on a civil trial jury,
•on a criminal trial jury or a grand jury, if enough time has passed. (See below.)
ORS 10.030 (3)(a)(E) and (f) say that a person cannot serve on a criminal trial jury or on a grand jury if the person has been
•convicted of a felony or served a felony sentence within the 15 years immediately preceding the date the person is required to report for jury service; or
•convicted of a misdemeanor involving violence or dishonesty, or has served a misdemeanor sentence based on a misdemeanor involving violence or dishonesty, within the five years immediately preceding the date the person is required to report for jury service.
ORS 10.030(3)(b)(A) defines “felony sentence” as any incarceration, post-prison supervision, parole or probation imposed upon conviction of a felony or served as a result of conviction of a felony.
ORS 10.030(3)(b)(A) defines “misdemeanor sentence” as any incarceration or probation imposed upon conviction of a misdemeanor or served as a result of conviction of a misdemeanor.
ORS 166.270 defines “Has been convicted of a felony.”
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