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Jury Service
Quick LinksWelcome Clatsop County Jurors!Trial by jury is a cornerstone of our democracy. The Oregon and United States Constitutions protect our right to jury trial. Jury service is one of the most important rights and responsibilities of American citizenship. These pages have information to help jurors, employers, and the public find useful information about jury service in Clatsop County. All persons chosen for jury service are selected at random from combined lists of registered voters and DMV records. Under Oregon law, a person is required to respond to a circuit court summons for jury service by completing and returning the eligibility form. If you do not respond to the jury summons, the court may order you to complete and return the form. If you fail to comply, the court may order you to appear before the court and show cause why you should not be held in contempt of court. If you are ordered to appear before the court, you risk arrest if you do not appear. If you are charged with contempt of court, you may face criminal sanctions if found guilty. ProceduresJury orientation is provided as a video on the internet and you are encouraged to view this video prior to reporting for service. If you are selected, Grand Jury orientation will be held on the first Friday of your term and may last one to two hours. How to Respond to the SummonsEach eligible person has an obligation to serve as a juror to protect the right of every person to a trial by a jury. Under law, a person in required to respond to a circuit court summons by completing the Response Form (via US Mail or the web) and, if eligible, by serving as summoned, deferring service to a future date, or being excused. The State Law requires that you respond to the summons. Please return your JUROR ELIGIBILITY RESPONSE FORM no later than one week before your report date. How to Report for Jury ServiceGenerally jury trials in Clatsop County begin on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Check in with the court every Monday and Tuesday (after 3:00 p.m. and again after 5:00 p.m.) of your Jury term to see if your Juror number has been called for a trial starting the next day. This can be done by accessing our web site at http://courts.oregon.gov/Clatsop/ or by calling (503) 325-8596 or (800) 452-8220. You will receive instructions on when and where to report. Please listen/review the message carefully and report as instructed. When your Juror number is called report to the Jury Coordinator as instructed. Upon arrival at the courthouse check in with the Jury Coordinator and be sure to sign the sign-in sheet in the Jury Room. The court will ask you to wear a yellow juror button while you are in the courthouse and during lunch breaks so that staff, witnesses, and attorneys can easily identify you as a juror. Please return the button at the end of each day. Jury EligibilityYou must be 18 years of age or older, a citizen of the United States, a resident of Clatsop County, and must not have served on any State or Federal Jury within the last two years. If you do not qualify, please return the Jury Response Form indicating why you believe you are ineligible to serve. In Grand Jury and criminal prosecutions, persons are not eligible to sit as jurors if they have been convicted of a felony, served a felony sentence within the 15 years immediately before the date jury service begins, have been convicted of a misdemeanor involving violence or dishonesty, or served a sentence for a misdemeanor involving violence or dishonesty within the five years immediately before the date jury service begins. These persons may sit on juries for civil trials. Employer ConductOregon law provides that an employer shall not discharge or threaten to discharge, intimidate, or coerce an employee by reason of the employee’s service as a juror. As of January 1, 2012, the law also provides protections related to leave and continuing insurance coverage. See this link [http://courts.oregon.gov/OJD/docs/jurorinfo/Juror_Employment_Protections.pdf] or contact your jury coordinator for more information, or see ORS 10.090 as amended by Or Laws 2011 ch 118 and ch 377. ParkingParking is limited. If possible, park west of the courthouse near the Sheriff's Office and the Baptist Church. Please avoid one hour zones. Do not park in restricted areas, reserved parking spots, private lots or tow-away zones. Scheduling Days OffRequests to be excused must be made by 2:30 p.m. the day prior to any scheduled trial. You can call the Jury Coordinator at (503) 325-8555, option 8, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If the Jury Coordinator is not available you may leave a message with your name, juror number, phone number, and the dates you are unavailable. If you are excused, you will not receive a return call. If your request is denied, the clerk will call you. Only the trial judge may excuse you after 2:30 p.m. the day prior to any scheduled trial or on the morning of trial. Except under extraordinary circumstances and with permission of the trial judge, you cannot be excused once you have been sworn as a juror on a trial. In an emergency, call the jury coordinator as soon as possible and explain the circumstances. If you are serving on a jury, contact the courtroom clerk. If you are serving on Grand Jury, call the District Attorney's office. Requests to be Deferred or ExcusedPlease see the Deferral & Excuse page on this site. CompensationPayment for Jury Service is set by legislation (ORS 10.061) and is currently $10.00 a day for the first two days of service and $25.00 for each subsequent day. Unless otherwise provided by the terms of an employment agreement, under Oregon law, a juror must waive the juror fee if the juror's employer pays the juror a wage or salary for the days the juror is required to attend the circuit court during the jury service term. Jurors may voluntarily waive juror fees; please contact the jury coordinator for more information on fee waiver. The court does not provide wage reporting or a W2 at the end of the year. It is the individual Juror’s responsibility to track and properly report any wages received for Jury Service. Americans With Disability Act (ADA):In accordance with this act, persons needing a special accommodation should contact the Jury Coordinator no later than ten days prior to the date of service. The Jury Coordinator is available by phone from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (excluding 12:00 p.m. through 1:00 a.m.) Monday through Friday at (503) 325-8555, option 8. Duration of Service:The length of your Jury Service term is thirty days. Within your 30 day term, generally you will not have to serve more than 10 days. If you are a juror on a trial that will last longer than your 10 days of service and/or past your 30 day term, you must continue service for the duration of that trial. In all other instances, your service will end at the close of the last business day for which you were summoned. Hours of ServiceTrials usually begin at 9:00 a.m. Jurors will be given a lunch break but will eat in the jury room during deliberations. Court usually recesses by 5:00 p.m. unless the jury is deliberating. SecurityIt is a Class C felony (5 years prison, $10,000 fine or both) for any person intentionally to possess a weapon, including a loaded or unloaded firearm, in a court facility (ORS 166.370). Uniform Trial Court Rule 6.180 further prohibits the possession of a knife, device or harmful substance capable of inflicting death or physical injury. This prohibition against carrying a handgun or any other weapon (including pocket knives or other cutting devices) will be enforced by the Clatsop County Sheriff. Contact the Jury ClerkPlease mail any information to Clatsop County Circuit Court, Attn: Jury Coordinator, PO Box 835, Astoria, OR 97103. Phone (503) 325-8555. Fax (503) 325-9300. Other Juror Resources |