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.
We thank those who have spent the time -- and completed the hard work -- of serving on a jury.
FAQs
Check in with the court every Friday after 5:00 p.m. during your term of service. Follow any instructions for the most accurate information for a need of service. This can be done by accessing our web site or by calling 541-947-6052 or 1-800-657-9450. You will receive instructions on when and where to report. Please listen/review the message carefully and report to the Jury Coordinator as instructed.
Please notify the court at least two weeks in advance for scheduled dates you know you are not going to be available. The court will try and work with the juror if notice is provided.
If a juror is called for possible service on a jury and has an unplanned absence they will need to notify the court by 2:30 pm on the day prior to the scheduled trial.
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, contact the Jury Coordinator as soon as possible and explain the circumstances.
The length of your jury duty term is 6 months. Within your 6 month term you generally 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 6 month 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.
Anyone receiving a Jury Summons needing a special accommodation for health or disability should contact the Jury Coordinator no later than ten days prior to the date of service.
Prospective jurors may be allowed to have jury duty deferred one time, to start no later than one year from the date of the original jury duty. If you would like to defer jury duty and commit to serving within one year, indicate your preferred new date on the response card or in a letter.
A Judge, the Trial Court Administrator or the Jury Coordinator may excuse a person from jury duty for reasons listed in Oregon law (statutory excusal) or for other documented reasons, if good cause is shown.
Statutory Reasons for Excusal from Jury Duty:
- Over 70 year of age when service begins and you wish to be excused, check the appropriate box on the response card, sign and return the card. You may serve if you wish by following the procedures to respond and appear for Jury Duty.
- Breast Feeding A Child; if you are a woman breast-feeding a child on the date jury duty begins and you wish to be excused, check the appropriate box on the response card, sign and return the card. You may serve if you wish by following the procedures to respond and appear for Jury Duty.
- Not a Lake County Resident; if you do not reside in Lake County (based on DMV and/or voter records) you must contact the Jury Coordinator with your new address by email or on your Juror Eligibility Response card.
Other Reasons You May Request Excusal – Non-Statutory
In its discretion, the circuit court may excuse you from serving jury duty for non-statutory reasons. If you ask to be excused in writing the court may ask for additional documentation to support your request such as a letter from a physician or your employer. The Judge will weigh the basis for your excuse against the public’s need for jurors. The court may deny a request for excuse and require you to serve.
The deadline for written requests to be excused or to delay jury duty is one week before your service begins.
Procedures
Scheduling Days Off
If selected for Grand Jury any requests to be excused for a day must be made through the District Attorney's office. In an emergency, call the District Attorney's office at 541-947-6009.
Duration of Service
The length of Grand Jury duty will be 3 months and jurors will generally be asked to attend once a week. Once the Grand Jury is selected the District Attorney facilitates and will be able to answer any questions about scheduling and procedures.
Security
Security at the Courthouse is provided by Lake 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.