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Juror FAQs

The right to a trial by jury in certain cases is guaranteed by our constitution. Any person who is entitled to a jury trial is entitled to a jury that represents the whole community. It is important that a fair cross section of our county's population is represented on the jury panel to prevent discrimination or bias.

Parking is generally available in the parking garage across from the courthouse on the corner of 5th and Evans Street. 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 second floor of the courthouse.

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.

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, and are used to improve the juror experience.

You must be a citizen of the UNITED STATES, a resident of Yamhill 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 juror summons 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 If you have had your privileges withdrawn and not restored under ORS 137.281 (convicted or served a sentence for a felony within the last 15 years or for a misdemeanor involving violence or dishonesty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.

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.

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.

Requests for days off during your term of jury service may be arranged IN ADVANCE by making the request on the Juror Response Form that you received with your summons. When you are instructed to report, we are relying on you being available for the full length of a trial or grand jury. In the event you become ill and can't appear, it is mandatory that you call the jury coordinator during weekday business hours.

​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 three months. Call the jury recording number at 1.877.201.3937 or check the court’s website after 5:00 PM every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday during your term of service to determine when and where you are to report next.

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 juror summons the month that you would be able to serve, and return the postcard immediately. You may only defer your jury service once.

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.

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.