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General Information

Juror Orientation

jurors in a courtroomOn the first day of your jury term, you will attend orientation in the morning. After jury orientation you will either be selected for a jury panel or excused. Please view the "How to Report" section for more information.

To lessen the impact of jury service, our court has created a system in which jurors only have to serve on one trial to complete their service. Most trials do not last more than a couple of days. If a juror reports for duty and is available to serve but is not selected for a trial, that juror will be released and his or her service will be complete. A very small minority of jurors are summoned for grand jury, which involves a two-week commitment. Once a juror has served as instructed by the court, the juror's obligation is complete for a two-year period.

We thank those who have spent the time -- and completed the hard work -- of serving on a jury.

FAQs

​

​Call-in Instructions:

You must call the Jury Recording Line after 6:00 p.m. the night before your term begins to determine if you have been chosen for jury duty. You will also check the Jury Schedule online​. If your number has been chosen, you will need to report the next day for jury orientation and jury selection. The time you are to report will be included on the recording and online. You do not need to report if your number was not chosen. The Jury Recording Line is 503-655-8397​, select Option 3.

Where to Report 
The Jury Assembly Room is located at 1000 Courthouse Rd, Oregon City, on the 2nd floor.
​
When to Report
​You must check in at the Jury Assembly Room at the time given on the jury recording for your service date. There will be an orientation, and then after that jurors may be called to courtrooms to start a trial. Trials may start at different times throughout the day. Most trials go from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm with short rest breaks and a lunch break. The schedule for a trial, including breaks, will be set by the judge.

​Parking​​
Free parking is available on the Red Soils Campus (1000 Courthouse Rd, Oregon City) around the courthouse. Accessible parking is also available. 

Typical Day

  • ​​Jury Orientation
    You will receive detailed instructions on your jury service at your orientation, which will be on the first day you report. You are to report to 1000 Courthouse Rd, Oregon City, Oregon on the 2nd floor at the time indicated on the jury recording line. 
  • ​Cell Phones and Computers
    You may bring your cell phone and laptop computer to the courthouse. They have to be placed on the x-ray scanner when you go through security. The Jury Assembly Room has internet connections available (wireless). When you go into a courtroom, make sure your cell phone is turned off (not just silent or vibrate). Most judges do not allow jurors to use computers in the courtroom.​
  • What to Bring With You
    You may bring work or reading material, or a personal electronic device you can listen to with headphones. You may also bring a lunch or a snack. A refrigerator and microwave are available in the Jury Assembly Room. Don’t bring anything to the courthouse that you couldn’t take on an airplane. For further information about what not to bring to the courthouse, please view the "Security" FAQ below.

​IMPORTANT: You must submit your prequalifying questionnaire online before proceeding to make a request for a deferral or excusal for any reason.​

You are eligible if:​
  • You live in Clackamas County, are a U.S. citizen, and are at least 18 years of age.
​You are NOT​ eligible if:​ ​
  • If you are not a resident of Clackamas County and if you are not a U.S. citizen.
  • You have reported for jury duty in a state or federal court in Oregon within the previous 24 months.
  • You are in state prison or in county jail as a condition of a suspended sentence.
If you are not eligible to be a juror for one of these reasons, you should check online via the Juror eResponse portal​.
 
Oregon law provides that “the opportunity for jury service shall not be denied or limited on the basis of race, national origin, gender, age, religious belief, income, occupation, or any other factor that discriminates against a cognizable group in this state.” A person who is blind, hearing or speech impaired or physically disabled shall not be ineligible to act as a juror, or be excluded from a juror list because of their impairment. Please see the ​Accessibility page​ for more information.

​​IMPORTANT: You must submit your prequalifying questionnaire online before proceeding to make a request for a deferral or excusal for any reason.​

Postponement/Deferral of Service:

  • ​​​First Deferral Request: If you are unable to report on your service date, you may request that your service be delayed to start at least 3 months (90 days) from your report date but no later than one year from your original service date. ORS 10.055 A new jury summons will be sent to you.

    ​Important Note:
    You may be asked to provide proof of travel, a doctor’s note, or other documentation before a deferral can be granted. This helps ensure adequate juror attendance during low-response periods.
    ​
  • Second Deferral Request: A second deferral may be granted by a judge or clerk for up to six months from the date of the request. The person requesting a deferral beyond a first postponement of jury service must state good cause for the request. ORS 10.055​.  A new jury summons will be sent to you.
  • Days You May Defer To: You may make a deferral request to any day of the week, except for Monday, as this is not a day that jurors typically report for jury duty at Clackamas County Courthouse.

Submit Request via one of the following methods:

​​The Court will not contact you if your request to be deferred is granted. A new jury summons will be sent to you for the new term of jury service. If your request is denied you will be contacted.

Request to be Excused:
  • Jury ​service causes you, your family, or your employer undue hardship or extreme inconvenience; or
  • You are the sole caregiver for a child or other dependent, you attend personally to the dependent during the court’s normal hours of operation, and you are unable to afford daycare or make other arrangements for the care of the dependent.
  • ORS 10.050
​​The Court must excuse you if:

  • You are 70 years or older, and want to be excused.
  • If you want to serve as a juror, you may serve.
  • ​If you are a woman breast-feeding a child, and want to be excused. If you want to serve as a juror, you may serve.
  • ORS 10.050​

​Other reasons you may be excused or deferred:
  • ​In addition, if you have served on jury duty in a state or federal court in Oregon within the last 24 months, reply via the Juror Juror eResponse​​ portal.​
  • ​If you have a medical condition and document this with a written statement from your doctor, send by mail, fax, or email​ cla.jury@ojd.state.or.us.
  • ​If you are a full-time student, with proof of enrollment from your school, you may request to be deferred to a time when you are not attending school. Send by mail, fax, or email​ cla.jury@ojd.state.or.us​.​​​

How to Make the Request​
​All requests to be excused must be in writing explaining the nature of the condition, with documentation of undue hardship, or extreme inconvenience that requires you to be excused. In most cases you will not be excused, but we may defer your term of service to a date three months after your current service date and not more than one year from your original summons.​

Submit Request via one of the following methods:​
The Court will not contact you if your request to be excused is granted. You will be contacted if your request is denied.

​The Oregon Legislature sets compensation for jury duty. Unless otherwise provided by the terms of an employment agreement, under ORS 10.061(3), a juror must waive the juror fee if the juror's employer pays the juror a wage or salary for the day(s) of jury service. Jurors are entitled to:

  • Days 1 and 2 - $10 per day
  • Day 3 and any subsequent day served - $25 per day
Juror Travel Expenses​​
​Juror travel expenses for each day of service will be compensated in one of three ways:
  1. Take TriMet, the cost of TriMet tickets will be paid regardless of distance; or
  2. If driving, the rate of travel reimbursement is $.20 per mile for the distance traveled between your home and the Jury Assembly Room.
  3. Drive to a TriMet Park and Ride, you may be reimbursed for your mileage in driving to the Park and Ride, and for the expense of the TriMet tickets.
You will provide this information when you check in using the juror eResponse portal​.

​Your jury service term is for the day you are summoned until the completion of any trial for which you are selected, even if it lasts for multiple days. Your service term is also considered complete even if your juror number was not selected to report on your summons date. If selected, Jurors are instructed to report to the jury assembly room on the 2nd floor, at 1000 Courthouse Rd, Oregon City and are required to remain as a member of the jury pool until released by the court.​

​Jury Duty is a civic duty of each citizen. If someone fails to respond to jury summons, the court may hold the person in contempt. Similarly, a person who fails to complete jury service without first getting permission from the court may be punished for contempt. If you receive a summons but cannot comply with the summons, you must follow the procedures to be excused or deferred by the court. The steps for requesting to be excused from jury service or to defer your jury service are available above within the "Deferral of Service and Requests to be Excused" section above​. Additional information is also available at Juror Handbook on the Oregon State Bar website.

  • Can I lose my job for reporting for jury service?
    No. Under Oregon law, it is an unlawful employment practice for your employer to discharge you because of jury service. An employer also may not threaten to discharge, intimidate, or coerce an employee because of jury service. An employee who is subjected to such actions may bring a civil action or may file a complaint with the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries.​

  • Will my employer pay me while I am on jury service?
    Your employer’s personnel policies, or specific employment agreement between you and your employer, will determine whether any compensation is payable to you during jury service. There is no statutory requirement that an employer pay salary or wages during an employee’s jury service. Please check with your employer on payment options prior to reporting.

  • May my employer require me to use my vacation, sick leave, or annual leave for time I spent on jury service?
    No. An employer may not require that an employee use vacation leave, sick leave or annual leave for time spent by the employee in responding to a summons for jury duty, and the employer must allow the employee to at least take leave without pay for time spent by the employee in responding to a summons for jury duty. This is your option. An employer commits an unlawful employment practice if the employer denies to an employee the option of taking leave without pay for service as a juror. An employee who is subjected to such action may bring a civil action or may file a complaint with the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries.

  • What if my employer violates the law? How would I complain about such practice?
    To file a complaint  under ORS 659A.820 ​ because your employer committed an unlawful employment practice, you would file a complaint with the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries. To file a civil action under ORS 659A.885​ because your employer committed an unlawful employment practice, you would file a civil action in circuit court.​

​Security at the Courthouse is provided by Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. Security equipment in use at the Courthouse includes magnetometers (walk-through metal detectors), x-ray scanners, and handheld metal detectors. If you have a pacemaker, tell the security officer about it before you enter the metal detector. The security screening process can create long lines of people waiting to enter the courthouse during peak hours, so please keep this in mind when you plan your visit.​

To see a list of prohibited items and learn about other important information about security, please visit the Courthouse Security page.

  • ​The Court will provide accommodations for American with Disabilities Act (ADA) upon request of jurors with disabilities. If you have a disability, please tell the Jury Coordinator what accommodation(s) you need so we can remove any barriers to your effective service as a juror.

  • Any person who has a hearing disability and needs accommodation in order to participate in jury service may notify the jury coordinator of the need.

  • It is common for people who do not usually consider themselves as having a hearing disability to have trouble hearing everyone clearly in some of the courtrooms. If this happens to you, please tell the judge or clerk. Every courtroom is equipped with assistive listening devices.

  • ​Please notify the Jury Coordinator of your need immediately upon receipt of your Jury Summons so that we have sufficient time to arrange for accommodation.​
  • ​To request an ADA accommodation, please see the information on the Accessibility​ page.

Additional Resources