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Juror FAQs

Jury Duty - A Key Part of Justice

Serving on a jury, also called petit jury duty, is an important party of our democracy.  Both the Oregon and the U.S. Constitutions protect your right to a trial by jury because it helps ensure fairness in the justice system. 

Jury duty isn't just a right - it's also a civic responsibility.  When you serve, you're helping make sure that justice is carried out fairly for everyone.  Jurors are selected at random from a combined list registered voters and DMV records. 


FAQs

Complete the eResponse​

The law requires you to respond to the questionnaire regardless of age, citizenship status, criminal history, occupation, physical health, availability to serve, or place of residence. You are required to complete the entire questionnaire, even if you are requesting to be exempted, disqualified, or excused.

When is my response due?

Jurors should respond within ten (10) days of receiving their summons. If you are unable to respond online, you may visit the court to use our publicly available kiosk.​


It is mandatory for you to submit your eResponse before proceeding to make a r​​equest for a deferral for any reason.​​

Documentation is required for the following requests:

  • Student attending school (Proof of enrollment)
  • Planned vacation or business trip (Proof of travel already purchased)
  • Planned medical event
  • Medical condition (Note from treating doctor)
  • Email documentation​ Columbia.Jury@ojd.state.or.us​​​

Your juror status will remain pending and you will be required to report, until the supporting documentation is received and approved. 


First Deferral Request: 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.

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.

Months You May Defer To: You may make a deferral request to the first Monday of odd months (Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sep, Nov).


​It is mandatory for you to submit your eResponse before proceeding to make a request for an excusal for any reason.​

Documentation is required for the following requests:

  • Student attending school (Proof of enrollment)
  • Planned vacation or business trip (Proof of travel already purchased)
  • Planned medical event
  • Medical condition (Note from treating doctor)
  • Email documentation​ Columbia.Jury@ojd.state.or.us​​​

Your juror status will remain pending and you will be required to report, until the supporting documentation is received and approved. ​

Mandatory Excusals
The court must grant your request for excusal if you are:

  • 70 or older on the date of jury service and do not wish to serve. OR Call 503-397-2327 Option #2​, #2

  • A woman breast-feeding a child.

Discretionary Excusals
The court may grant your request for excusal if you are:

  • Jury service causes you, your family, or your employer undue hardship or extreme inconvenience.
  • 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.

If you request to be excused for a discretionary reason you must provide specific and detailed information so the court can carefully weigh your individual circumstances against the public's need for jurors. The court may choose to deny your request and require you to serve.​

Reporting instructions are updated by 5:00 PM the business day before the service date.

To check your reporting requirements, visit the Jury Schedule​ or call the Jury Instructions line 503-397-2327 ext. 24003. If your jury number is listed, follow the reporting instructions provided.​

Occasionally, cases are terminated or rescheduled as late as the day before the trial is scheduled to occur, which may mean that your service as a juror may not be required. 

Expenses incurred by jurors who do not visit the Jury Schedule online or call the Jury Instructions line as instructed, or who incur expenses after being informed that their service is not needed, will not be reimbursed.​​​

Please review the following resources before your term of service begins:

OJD Juror Orientation Video
Oregon Implicit Bias Training​

Juror Handbook​



It is the jurors responsibility to submit all unavailability requests to the courts (Email: Columbia.Jury@ojd.state.or.us​) 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.​​​

Jury Duty is a civic duty of each citizen.  

The law requires you to respond to the summons​ regardless of age, citizenship status, criminal history, occupation, physical health, availability to serve, or place of residence. You are required to complete the entire questionnaire, even if you are requesting to be exempted, disqualified, or excused.​

What if I don't report for Jury Duty?

The Court may issue an order requiring you to appear before a judge. If you ignore the order to appear, you may be held in contempt.  Similarly, if you fail to complete jury service without first getting permission from the Court, a failure to appear notice may be issued and you may be punished for contempt.  If you receive a Summons for Jury Service but cannot comply, you must follow the procedures to request a deferment or excuse.


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.​​​


A special summons is used when a jury is needed for an unusually complicated or high-profile trial.​

ALL jurors summoned (or those responding for someone incarcerated or deceased) must complete the online response. You may visit the courthouse to use our publicly available juror kiosk to respond.

​

​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.​

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.

​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​ Option #2


Kindly allow up to 48 hours for a response. Email inquiries are typically the quickest way to receive a reply. Voicemails will be returned in the order in which they are received. 

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. 


Juror Videos

Additional Resources