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Jury Duty

Welcome Clatsop County Jurors!

Trial by jury (also known as petit or regular jury duty) is a cornerstone of our democracy. The Oregon and United States Constitutions protect our right to jury trial. Jury duty is one of the most important rights and responsibilities of American citizenship. All persons chosen for jury duty are selected at random from combined lists of registered voters and DMV records.



Jury Schedule



Online Jury Response









Under Oregon law, a person is required to respond to a circuit court summons for jury duty. If you fail to comply, the court may order you to appear before a judge and show cause why you should not be held in contempt of court.

If you have been served with a jury summons:

  1. Respond to the court as instructed on your summons
  2. Complete Orientation by watching: 
  3. Call the court or check the website every Friday during your month of service after 3:00 p.m. to see if you've been called for a jury trial

Only appear for jury duty if instructed to do so by referencing the Jury Schedule or by calling 503-325-8555 and choosing the option for Jury.

Juror Qualifications

You are eligible to act as a grand juror or as a juror in a criminal/civil trial unless you:

  • Are not a citizen of the United States
  • Do not live in Clatsop County
  • Are less than 18 years of age
  • Served on a jury in the past 24 months
  • Have had your rights withdrawn and not restored under ORS 137.281
  • Have been convicted of a felony or served a felony sentence in the past 15 years*
  • Have been convicted of a misdemeanor or served a misdemeanor sentence involving violence or dishonesty in the past 5 years*
           * Past convictions do not disqualify you from serving on a civil jury trial.

Jury-related scam alert! Protect yourself by reading this important update about a scam targeting citizens across Oregon: Jury Duty Scams Reported in Oregon.



​Please respond to your summons online or call 503.325.8555 and select option 8 (during business hours).

​Generally jury trials in Clatsop County begin on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Check in with the court by accessing our web site or by calling 503.325.8555 every Friday after 3:00 p.m. for information regarding the upcoming week. Because trials can change at the last minute, if you are called to serve on Tuesday or Wednesday, check again the evening before your scheduled appearance to ensure that you have the most current information.

When you check the website or call in, you will receive instructions as to when and where to report. If you have questions, please contact the Jury Coordinator​.

Please read these important notes about court etiquette before you serve as a juror.​

​ Duration​ of Service​

​​The length of your jury duty term is one month. If you are a juror on a trial that will last longer than the end of your term, you must continue service for the duration of that trial.​

Scheduling Da​ys Off​

​With advance notice and depending on the circumstances, you may be excused from certain days that you are not able to serve. Any requests to be excused the day prior to or the day of trial must be submitted in writing to jury.info@ojd.state.or.us and will be forwarded to a Judge for approval.

You cannot be excused once you have been sworn in as a juror on a trial.

In an emergency, call the Jury Coordinator right away.

​Grand jury is a special kind of jury that hears evidence in criminal cases and votes on whether there is enough evidence to issue an indictment charging a person with a serious crime.  Grand Jurors will be randomly selected from the monthly jury pool.  7 will be the primary jurors and several will be selected as alternates.  Selected Grand Jurors will be contacted by phone and will be advised of the day and time to report.

All Grand Jurors are required to attend the Orientation.  Some will be alternates and called to serve as needed.  Some will be primary and can expect to serve most Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.  This includes the day of orientation.  Orientation lasts approximately 1 hour.  Grand jury sessions can last 2-4 hours.  Plan to serve a grand jury session immediately following the orientation.

Scheduling Days Off

​If selected for Grand Jury, any requests to be excused for a day must be made through the District Attorney's office at (503) 325-8581.



​In accordance with this act, persons needing a special accommodation should contact the Jury Coordinator​ no later than ten days prior to the date of service. The court is ADA accessible.

Requests to be deferred:

Prospective jurors are allowed to defer jury duty one time, to start no later than one year from the date of the original jury duty. 

Requests to be excused:
Jury duty is an important responsibility, however, not everyone is able to serve. You may ask to be excused if:

  • You are 70 years of age or older
  • You are a breastfeeding mother
  • You are the sole caregiver of a dependent and are unable to make arrangements for the care of the dependent
  • ​You can demonstrate that jury service would create an undue hardship or extreme inconvenience

If you would like to ask to be deferred or excused, you must submit your request using the Online Jury Response Form​. 
You may be required to submit additional or supporting information in writing. 

Requests to have your jury duty excused or deferred must be received by the court no later than one week prior to the date your service is scheduled to begin.

If you have questions about jury service, please contact the Jury Coordinator​​.

​​Most general questions about jury duty (such as eligibility, compensation and employer conduct) can be answered by referencing the Oregon State Bar’s Juror Handbook​.