COVID-19 and Jury Duty at the Deschutes County Circuit Court

The health and safety of jurors is of utmost importance to the Judges and staff at the Deschutes County Circuit Court. We recognize that we must make it safe to serve as a juror to protect individual jurors and to help protect against the spread of COVID-19 in our community.

If you are in a high-risk group for COVID-19 as defined by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) or work in a medical environment that places you in contact with COVID-19 positive people, please contact the Jury Coordinator to defer and reschedule your jury service.

“I think you all made the experience very safe for the jurors, & everyone involved in trial under these tough circumstances. Thank you for all the information you provided regarding the schedule. It made things less anxiety filled for myself.”

- Juror from trial held June 23, 2020.

We have made the following changes to make jury duty as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic:

Jury Orientation

Jury orientation is being held at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in North Sister Conference Center. This 9,500 square foot facility provides ample room for jury orientation with jurors seated six feet apart. All chairs are sanitized using medical grade wipes between orientation sessions. The content of jury orientation has been reduced to decrease the amount of time jurors spend in jury orientation. Masks are required.

Jury Trials - Fairgrounds

Most twelve-person jury trials and some six-person jury trials are being held at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in the North Sister Conference Center. This facility allows for jurors to be seated six feet apart in the courtroom and in the jury deliberation room. In the jury deliberation room, each juror has their own individual table and a HEPA air filtration system purifies the air.

Jury Trial - Courthouse

Some six-person jury trials are being held at the Downtown Courthouse. In advance of a planned remodel, Deschutes county Conducted extensive demolition in Courtrooms A and B to allow for jurors, litigants, attorneys and witnesses to all be seated at least six feet away from each other. During trial, only the judge, court staff, jurors, litigants, counsel, and witnesses (during their testimony) are allowed in the courtroom. Public viewing of the trial is done by remote video feed to a second courtroom. At the start of trial, seated jurors may request a travel-sized, hand-sanitizer for their personal use during trial which they keep at the end of the trial. Jurors may bring their own personal water bottle into court or may request bottled water from court staff. For trials conducted at the downtown courthouse, jury deliberation is held in the courtroom, allowing jurors to remain seated six feet apart in the same chair they occupied during trial. If you have concerns or comments during or after your service at the courthouse, please contact the Trial Court Administrator at 541.317.4772.