Juror Orientation
On 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 Jury Reporting Information for when and where to report for jury orientation.
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.
Some jurors are selected to serve on a grand jury. Grand Jurors listen to evidence and testimony of witnesses presented by the District Attorney and determine whether someone should be charged with a crime. Grand Jurors serve one day per week for two months. Two groups of seven Grand Jurors are selected for each two month term. One group of Grand Jurors serves on Tuesdays, and the other group serves on Thursdays.
We thank those who have spent the time -- and completed the hard work -- of serving on a jury.
FAQs
Parking may be available in the south lot behind the courthouse. The main entrance to the courthouse is located on the south side of the building. You will be required to go through security, and any knives, leatherman tools, etc. will not be allowed in the building. Please report to the third floor of the courthouse.
If you are unable to serve on the month you have been summoned to appear, you may request to be deferred to another month. Please indicate on your response postcard the month that you would be able to serve, and return the postcard immediately. You may defer your jury service for up to one year. You may only defer your jury service once. You will not receive confirmation that your request has been allowed.
Jurors should dress accordingly. Shorts, tank tops or hats are not permitted in the courtroom.
Unless otherwise provided by the terms of an employment contract, jurors are paid $10.00 per day for the first two days of service, and $25.00 for each day thereafter. Jurors receive $0.20 per mile for roundtrip mileage from your residence to the courthouse.
You may waive your daily juror fee, mileage reimbursement fee, or both. Waived funds go to the Oregon Judicial Department’s “Juror Access and Experience Improvement” account.
If you are 70 years of age or older, you my request to be excused on the basis of age by returning your response postcard. You will not receive confirmation that your request has been allowed.
Oregon law provides that an employer shall not discharge or threaten to discharge, intimidate, or coerce an employee by reason of the employee’s service or scheduled service as a juror on a grand jury, trial jury or jury of inquest. ORS 10.090.
Jury service is the civic duty of each citizen. Failure to respond to the jury summons may result in a warrant being issued for your arrest and your having to show cause why you should not be held in contempt.
The court will provide ADA accommodation and assistive devices upon request of jurors with disabilities. Please notify the jury coordinator of your need immediately upon receipt of your jury summons.
Your term of service as a juror is for one month. You will be asked to serve no more than 10 days during the month, or only one trial if that trial exceeds 10 days. Those selected for Grand Jury will serve one day per week for two months. Call the jury message phone at
541-265-4254 or
1-800-899-7273 or check the
court’s website after 5:30 PM
on the day before your jury term is set to start to determine when you have to report.
You must be a citizen of the UNITED STATES, a resident of Lincoln County, and eighteen years of age or older. If you are not, please return your response postcard indicating which qualifications you do not meet. If you have been summoned as a juror and served in any State or Federal Court within the last two years, you will be excused. Again, please return the response postcard indicating which court you served in and the date of service. If you have had your privileges withdrawn and not restored under ORS 137.281 (convicted or served a sentence for a felony within the last 15 years or for a misdemeanor involving violence or dishonesty within 5 years) you are only eligible to serve on civil jury trials.
If you are unable to serve as a juror because of a medical condition, you must submit a letter from your physician. All requests to be excused from jury service must be submitted no later than five days after you receive your summons. You will not receive confirmation that your request has been allowed.
Security
Security at the Courthouse is provided by Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. Security equipment in use at the Courthouse includes magnetometers (walk-through metal detectors), x-ray scanners, and hand held 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.
The main objective of Courthouse security is to maintain a safe and secure environment for everyone in the building. Everyone’s cooperation is needed in order to achieve this very important goal. Weapons of any kind are strictly prohibited and may be confiscated. Among items prohibited from court facilities are guns, knives, ammunition, pepper spray, mace, razor blades, illegal drugs and any other type of dangerous or hazardous material or property. A variety of items may be prohibited because they are hazardous or could be used as potential weapons. These include any object that is sharp, pointed or with a cutting blade regardless of length. If you are unsure if an item is allowed or not, the safest option is to not bring it into the courthouse.
Courthouse security will not hold unauthorized items for return later. Any prohibited item that is brought to the courthouse will be taken from you and permanently destroyed.