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Meeting Archives: January 22, 2026

January 22, 2026

Agenda (opens PDF)

Meeting #1: Overview of task force, public records/meetings law and work plans

  • Welcome
    • Nancy Cozine, State Court Administrator, Oregon Judicial Department (OJD)
    • Meagan Flynn, Chief Justice, Oregon Supreme Court
  • Introductions of Task Force Members
    • Kimberly McCullough, Senior Counsel for Government Relations, OJD
  • Overview of SB 1175
    • Aaron Knott, Director of Government Relations and Communications, OJD
  • Task Force Rules
    • Kimberly McCullough, Senior Counsel for Government Relations, OJD
  • Task Force Website
    • Kimberly McCullough, Senior Counsel for Government Relations, OJD
  • Discussion of Public Records and Open Meetings Laws
    • Lindsey Detweiler, Deputy General Counsel, OJD
    • Sam Dupree, Senior Assistant General Counsel, OJD
  • Where We Are Going From Here
    • Kimberly McCullough, Senior Counsel for Government Relations, OJD
  • Public Comment

Meeting Materials

SB 1175 (2025)

Public Comment Submitted Via Task Force on Removing Barriers to Jury Service Online Contact Form (opens PDF)

  • Public Comment Submitted December 12, 2025, by HK Kahng
    • "Members of the Task Force on Removing Barriers to Jury Service, I served in the Multnomah County jury pool in November 2025 and was seated on a panel for a firearms case. I participated fully in voir dire and was ultimately excused. I understand that your task force is studying why roughly half of summoned Oregonians either don't respond or ask to be excused. I'm writing from the other half: the people who do show up, rearrange their lives, and then get sorted out by the mechanism. I've documented the experience and its costs - financial, logistical, and emotional - in the following essays*: The Molecule: Three Days Inside the Wankel Engine of the American Judicial System Day One: Intake, Day Two: Compression, Day Three: Combustion and Exhaust, The Constitutional Turducken: Or, The Right to Bear Arms and Why We Can't Have Nice Things. Taken together, these pieces describe what it feels like to be processed as a juror: - the practical costs of serving (time, transportation, parking, food, lost work), - the psychological experience of being "fuel" for the system, and - the tension between the ideal of "beyond a reasonable doubt" and the realities of how cases, guns, and people actually show up in Oregon in 2025. Please consider this as testimony from the inside of the process you're studying. The barriers aren't only logistical. Some of them are baked into how the mechanism itself operates - and how it feels to be used by it. Thank you for your work, and for taking juror experience seriously enough to study it."
      • *The Oregon Judicial Department has removed the links to these articles from "The Grey Ledger Society"
      • Note: A member of the public submitted the above message. They are not an employee of the Oregon Judicial Department (OJD). Their message included links to four essays on an external website called "The Grey Ledger Society." OJD removed the links. OJD does not affiliate with, endorse, control, or monitor "The Grey Ledger Society." OJD cannot promise that its contents are safe to view, click on, download, etc.

PowerPoint: Overview of Oregon's Public Meetings and Public Records Laws (opens PDF)

  • Slide 1: Overview of Oregon's Public Meetings and Public Records Laws
    • Task Force on Removing Barriers to Jury Service
    • Lindsey Detweiler, Deputy General Counsel
    • Sam Dupree, Sr. Assistant General Counsel
    • Oregon Judicial Department
    • January 2026
  • Slide 2: Oregon Public Meetings Law
    • "The Oregon form of government requires an informed public aware of the deliberations and decisions of governing bodies and the information upon which such decisions were made. It is the intent of [the Public Meetings Law] that decisions of governing bodies be arrived at openly."
    • Task Force is both a "public body" and a "governing body"
      • "Public body" means the state, any regional council, county, city or district, or any municipal or public corporation, or any board, department, commission, council, bureau, committee or subcommittee or advisory group or any other agency thereof.
      • "Governing body" means the members of any public body which consists of two or more members, with the authority to make decisions for or recommendations to a public body on policy or administration.
  • Slide 3: Oregon Public Meetings Law
    • Key Requirements of the Public Meetings Law:
      • For public bodies to hold meetings and make decisions in a manner that is open to the public unless an executive session is authorized.
      • For public bodies to give notice of meetings and to take minutes or otherwise record meetings.
      • For public bodies to comply with statutory requirements regarding location, voting, accessibility of public meetings, and others.
  • Slide 4: Oregon Public Meetings Law
    • A "meeting" does not include:
      • On-site inspection of projects or programs, or
      • Attendance of members at any national, regional, or state association to which the public body or the members belong.
    • A gathering of less than a quorum of a governing body is not a "convening" and therefore not a "meeting," unless the participants use serial electronic written communication or an intermediary to communicate as a quorum.
  • Slide 5: Oregon Public Meetings Law
    • Using serial electronic written communication or intermediaries to communicate about official business that ultimately includes a quorum will constitute a meeting and the public meeting requirements apply.
    • Exemptions:
      • Private executive sessions may be held to discuss certain matters such as litigation matters and legal advice.
      • Some specific types of meetings are statutorily exempt from public meetings requirements.
  • Slide 6: Oregon Public Records Law
    • Jury Task Force is a public body
    • "Public body" includes every state officer, agency, department, division, bureau, board and commission; every county and city governing body, school district, special district, municipal corporation, and any board, department, commission, council, or agency thereof; and any other public agency of this state
    • Every person has a right to inspect any public record of a public body in this state, unless an exemption applies
  • Slide 7: Oregon Public Records Law
    • Public records include "any writing that reflects conduct of the public's business" that is "prepared, owned, used, or retained by a public body".
    • Examples include: 
      • Paper and electronic documents 
      • Emails and instant messages
      • Phone logs, voicemails, and text messages
      • Video and audio records
      • Photos
      • Data
  • Slide 8: Oregon Public Records Law
    • Creating or storing a record on your personal device or email DOES NOT turn a public record into a private record.
    • This includes personal phone communications and emails.
    • Be careful communicating on personal devices and accounts.
    • It may subject the device or account to a search if a public records request is made.
  • Slide 9: Oregon Public Records Law
    • Retain Task Force-related records and communications you:
      • Create
      • Use
      • Retain
    • For a minimum of two years
    • Everything else can be deleted
  • Slide 10: Public Records Exemptions
    • There are many conditional and unconditional exemptions (see ORS 192.345 and 192.355). Some that may apply are:
      • Internal advisory communications
      • Privileged communications
      • Public employee address, birth date, social security number and telephone number
      • Records that, if produced, would be an invasion of personal privacy
  • Slide 11: Record Request Procedures
    • The public may submit requests for Task Force records.
    • If you receive a request, please route it to the Task Force via email or the Task Force website as soon as possible.
    • Requests must be in writing and acknowledged within 5 business days.
    • Your organization may have its own processes.
    • You will have an opportunity to review any records prior to a decision on whether to release.
    • Must respond with 15 days, if possible. 
  • Slide 12: Tips/Takeaways
    • Communicate thoughtfully and intentionally
    • If possible, avoid using personal devices or accounts
    • If you receive a request, coordinate the response with the Oregon Judicial Department
  • Slide 13: Thank You

PowerPoint: Overview of SB 1175 (opens PDF)

  • Slide 1: SB 1175 Overview
    • Aaron Knott
    • Director of Government Relations and Communications, 
    • Oregon Judicial Department
    • January 22, 2026
  • Slide 2: SB 1175
    • Passed in the 2025 legislative session
    • Multiple Chief Sponsors
    • Biparisan support
    • Supported by the Oregon Judicial Department and a variety of stakeholders
    • Image Alt Text: Slide includes a screenshot of the first 21 lines of the enrolled bill text of SB 1175 from the 83rd Oregon Legislative Assembly in 2025
  • Slide 3: Task Force Members (15)
    • Senator James I. Manning, Jr.
    • Senator Kim Thatcher
    • Representative Tom Andersen
    • Representative Kim Wallan
    • Bryan Brock, Oregon District Attorneys Association
    • Kia Tolbert, Representing Criminal Defense Attorneys
    • Derek Sangston, Oregon Business & Industry
    • Nansi López, Racial Justice Council
    • Timothy Dooley, Association of Oregon Counties
    • Honorable Matthew Shirtcliff, Baker County Circuit Court
    • Honorable Chanpone Sinlapasai, Multnomah County Circuit Court
    • Royce Williams, Attorney with Experience with Civil Jury Trials
    • Honorable Tucker Rossetto, Beaverton Municipal Court
    • Keren Farkas, Oregon State Bar
    • Kimberly McCullough (Chair), Office of the State Court Administrator
  • Slide 4: Task Force Charge
    • Examine Oregon's current structure of jury compensation and resulting participation levels and how Oregon's structure and pariticipation levels compare to the structure and participation levels in other states
    • Propose recommendations to modify Oregon's structure of jury compensation to improve jury participation levels
    • Recommend public outreach and education strategies that will inform the public regarding jury compensation and participation
    • Examine and propose recommendations to address additional barriers to jury service
  • Slide 5: Quorum and Voting
    • Nonvoting members
      • Legislators
      • Chair
    • Number of voting members = 10
    • Majority of voting members = 6
    • Quorum (for transaction of business) requires presence of majority of voting members
    • Official action (voting) requires majority of voting members
    • Vacancies filled by appointing authority
  • Slide 6: Task Force Report
    • Due December 15, 2026
    • Submitted to:
      • Chief Justice
      • Governor
      • Judiciary Committees
    • May include recommendations for legislation
    • May include minority/dissenting views, opinions, or recommendations either as part of report or as separate report
  • Slide 7: Miscellaneous Provisions
    • Meetings at times/places called by chair or majority of voting members 
    • Staff support provided by the Oregon Judicial Department 
      • Task Force may consult with local or national experts, such as 
      • National Center for State Courts (NCSC)
    • Other jurisdictions
    • Task force may ask for assistance from state agencies
    • Can adopt rules
  • Slide 8: Questions

Meeting Recording

Meeting Notes

Coming Soon...