Juror Orientation
Before you report for jury service, you must view the Juror Orientation and Implicit Bias videos. If you are unable to access the videos from your home, the videos are available at the courthouse.
Petit, or regular jury service is a one-month term of service. Our jury trials typically begin on Tuesdays and/or Wednesdays. Most jury trials last 1-3 days. To select a fair and impartial jury, many jurors are required to report when a trial is scheduled. Of those, only 12-14 are selected to serve on the trial. All others are released and will likely not be called for another trial for the remainder of their term.
Grand jurors are selected from the petit jury pool. The grand jurors will serve for two months. Only 10 to 14 jurors are selected to serve on the grand jury. Grand jurors will generally be required to appear most Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.
Thank you to those who have dedicated their time -- and completed the hard work -- of serving on a jury.
FAQs
You are eligible if:
- You live in [County], are a U.S. citizen, and are at least 18 years of age.
You are NOT eligible if:
- You have reported for jury duty in a state or federal court in Oregon within the previous 24 months, even if you were not called to a courtroom or selected for a jury.
- You have been convicted of a felony and on the day you are to report for jury duty, you are 1) in state prison, or 2) in county jail as a condition of a suspended sentence.
If you are not eligible to be a juror for one of these reasons, you should check the appropriate box in on the Juror Eligibility Form.
Oregon law provides that “the opportunity for jury service shall not be denied or limited on the basis of race, national origin, gender, age, religious belief, income, occupation, or any other factor that discriminates against a cognizable group in this state.” A person who is blind, hearing or speech impaired or physically disabled shall not be ineligible to act as a juror, or be excluded from a juror list because of their impairment.
Petit, or regular, term of service is for one month. Jurors that are selected to serve on the grand jury will serve for two months.
The Oregon Legislature sets compensation for jury duty. Unless otherwise provided by the terms of an employment agreement, under ORS 10.061(3), a juror must waive the juror fee if the juror's employer pays the juror a wage or salary for the day(s) of jury service. Jurors are entitled to:
- Days 1 and 2 - $10 per day
- Day 3 and any subsequent day served - $25 per day
Juror travel expenses for each day of service will be compensated. If driving, the rate of travel reimbursement is $.20 per mile for the distance traveled between your home and the courthouse or other location of jury service
Parking
Parking is very limited in the area around the courthouse. On street parking is available around the courthouse on Duane, 7th Street, and Commercial Streets. There is a parking lot at the back of the courthouse from 8th street that has ADA parking and building access.
Where to Report
Typically, jurors will be asked to report to the main floor of the courthouse at 749 Commercial Street for service. Check the online jury schedule or the recorded phone message for reporting instructions.
Jury Duty is a civic duty of each citizen. If someone fails to respond to jury summons, the court may hold the person in contempt. Similarly, a person who fails to complete jury service without first getting permission from the court may be punished for contempt. If you receive a summons but cannot comply with the summons, you must follow the procedures to be excused or deferred by the court. The steps for requesting to be excused from jury service or to defer your jury service is available on our website on the Deferring Service page or the Request to be Excused page. Additional information is also available at Juror Handbook on the Oregon State Bar website.
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 as a juror.
Security
Security at the Courthouse is provided by Clatsop 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.