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Jury FAQ

Please watch the juror orientation Videos available online before you are called to serve on a trial:

OJD Juror Orientation Video
Oregon Implicit Bias Training​.


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  1. Please complete the Online Juror Response form​. 
  2. Go to the online Jury Schedule​ to get the Call-In dates for your two month term.
  3. Check the Reporting section of the Jury Schedule page, on your call-in dates, to see if your juror # is called and report for a trial in-person as it instructs.
​Failure to respond to the summons will result in deferral to the subsequent term. Failure to report when called for a trial may result in further action from the court.

If you do not have online access, please contact the Jury Coordinator at 503.397.2327 ext. 24024.

On call-in dates the online Jury Schedule and  the Jury Recording Line (503.397.2327 ext. 24003) are updated with reporting instructions. During online registration, please opt-in to Email and Text notifications to receive reporting updates.

The jury coordinator is unable to excuse jurors the day of trial. It is the jurors responsibility to submit unavailability requests to no later than 24 hours prior to a scheduled call-in date. If you are called to appear, please be prepared to serve multiple days, beyond your initial reporting date.

You do not need to report in-person if your number was not listed. 



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​It is the jurors responsibility to submit all unavailability requests to the courts in writing, with proper documentation, no later than 24 hours prior to a scheduled call-in date and to include ALL dates that may conflict with service for the duration of a trial.​

It is the jurors responsibility to submit all unavailability requests to the courts in writing, with proper documentation, no later than 24 hours prior to a scheduled call-in date and to include ALL dates that may conflict with service for the duration of a trial.​​​

Those instructed to report for a jury or grand jury ​are expected to be available for the full length of the trial. Please be prepared to serve multiple days, beyond your initial reporting date. 

In the event you become ill and can't appear, it is mandatory that you call the jury coordinator as soon as possible.​​​

Using the online Juror Response Form, you may request service to be delayed up to 1 year from the date your current jury term ends. The Court will weigh the basis for your request against the public's need for jurors. When your request is processed you will receive a status notification.

  • If granted, your notification will indicate your new service date and you will receive a new summons about a month before your new jury service begins. At this time, we are unable to approve subsequent deferrals.
  • If denied, you will need to be prepared to serve once your summons begins by monitoring the Schedule and Call-in Calendar and responding when called.​


In Columbia County the term of service is two (2) months. 

Please review the schedule of specific dates you need to check-in during your term. Juror's are responsible for monitoring the schedule​ and submitting requests, in writing, for all preplanned  unavailabliity dates.​​​


If you are 70 years-old or older or are a woman breast-feeding a child and you ask to be excused, the Court must excuse you from service. Please make the request on the Juror Response Form that you received with your summons, and you will be excused from jury service. The Circuit Court may also excuse you if:

a. jury service causes you, your family, or your employer undue hardship or extreme inconvenience; or,

​b. you are the sole caregiver for a child or other dependent, personally attend to the dependent during the Court's normal hours and are unable to afford daycare or make other arrangements for the care of the dependent.

The Court will weigh the basis for your excuse against its need for jurors. You must show good cause to the Court why you should be excused under these standards. The Court may deny a request for excuse under (a) or (b) above and require you to serve or defer your jury duty to a later date.

If you no longer live in Columbia County, are not a citizen of the United States, or are under the age of 18, you do not qualify to serve as a juror. Contact the jury coordinator in writing, and you will be excused from jury service. You will receive a postcard or email notifying you of the Court's decision.

Please refer to the Request to be Excused webpage for more information.


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 is available on our website on the Request a Deferral webpage or the Request to be Excused​ webpage.  Additional information is also available at Juror Handbook on the Oregon State Bar website. 

​A 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 crime. Grand jurors meet one day a week for 2 months.​

​You don't need to bring anything with you but please know your juror number. 

Please dress comfortably (suits and ties or dresses are not required), but also have respect for the important role you have as a juror. As a juror you are the judge of the facts. You won’t be wearing a black robe, but you should dress like you are doing serious business. The Courthouse is an older building, and the heating and air conditioning systems don’t always work very well. The temperature can also change quite a bit from one room to another. You will be more comfortable if you dress in layers so that you can put on or take off a sweater or jacket as you go through the day.

Jurors often spend many hours together in close quarters. Jurors should be respectful of their fellow jurors by reporting for service in clean clothes and without strong perfume or cologne.

All persons attending court must be dressed so as not to detract from the dignity of court​.  Please do NOT wear/bring:

  • Caps and hats - must be removed upon entering the courtroom 
  • Bare feet – shoes are required
  • Sunglasses
  • Revealing or abbreviated clothing such as shorts, tank or cropped tops
  • Strong perfume or cologne
  • Non-service animals​
  • Guests or anyone that may require yoru supervision during the proceedings.
  • Large backpacks and bags are subject to screening.
Weapons, including handguns, pocke​tknives, and chemical sprays are not allowed in the courthouse or court facilities. It is a Class C felony for any person to intentionally possess a weapon in a court facility (ORS 166.370).


​Parking is available in the parking lot by the courthouse annex building. Additional parking is located on 2nd and St. Helens Street, across from the movie theatre.​

​Yes. Each juror will be paid $10 per day and 20¢ per mile for round-trip mileage from their home. Jurors are entitled to $25 per day for the third and subsequent days of service.​ 


Additionally, jurors may be preauthorized to receive reimbusment for expenses resulting from the juror's service. Examples may include lodging or taxi service for a juror who had to travel a great distance and stay overnight at a local motel to attend jury service. These are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, please email the Jury Coordinator for more informaiton.​


​Oregon law (ORS 10.090​) provides that it is an unlawful employment practice for an employer to discharge, intimidate, or coerce an employee due to their service as a juror. An employee who believes their employer has violated the law may file a civil suit or file a complaint with the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries.

​Email: Columbia.Jury@ojd.state.or.us​

Phone: 503-397-2327 extension 24024

Anyone with a disability who needs accommodation to participate in jury service should advise the jury coordinator of the disability and the type of accommodation immediately upon receipt of your Jury Summons. Assistive Listening System (ALS) devices are available for the hearing impaired. For more information, please see the Request an Accommodation​​ webpage.