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Juror Information


 How Jury Service Works

jurors in a courtroomTerm of Service 
If you are not selected for grand jury, you will be a trial juror and your service will be for the entire month you were summoned. 

For those selected for grand jury service, there is a three-month commitment, typically one day per week. Grand Jurors are chosen every three months when summoned jurors volunteer to serve as a Grand Juror. 

What to do when you receive your Summons
When you receive your summons in the mail, go to the website on the summons and use the eResponse System to respond. After you respond you will be able to request a deferral or excusal from jury service.

Check Reporting Instructions
Beginning the night before your term of service begins, please review the Jury Reporting Instructions on the website, or by phone at 1-877-201-3937. 

If your juror number is in the range given, report as directed. If you previously requested a day off and you are in the range that day, you are not expected to report. Follow the instructions provided in the message about when to check the message again.  

Orientation
At your initial appearance for jury service, you'll receive an orientation in the morning. After orientation, you will either be assigned to a jury panel or excused for the day. Please continue to check the Jury Reporting Instructions as directed.

End of Service
To minimize the burden of jury duty, if you are assigned to a trial, your jury service concludes when the trial is over. However, there may be rare occasions where not enough jurors report for a particular month and jurors who have been assigned to a trial are asked to continue their service. Most trials are brief, lasting just a few days. If you are not selected to be a juror for a trial your term of service is for the entire month you were summoned.  

After fulfilling your jury service as directed by the court, you are relieved from jury duty for a period of two years, after which you are eligible to be randomly selected again.

We sincerely appreciate and thank all individuals who have dedicated their time and effort in fulfilling this vital civic duty.


Frequently Asked Questions

A small group of jurors are selected to serve on a grand jury. Grand Jurors listen to evidence and testimonies of witnesses presented by the District Attorney and determine whether someone should be charged with a crime. Grand Jurors serve one day per week for three months.​ Typically they either serve on Wednesday or Thursday.

​​Jury Reporting Instructions​ are updated daily by 5:00 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday. Beginning the evening before your term of service begins check the Jury Reporting Instructions. To listen to a recorded message with the same information call 1-877-201-3937​. Continue to review the messages for the entire month as directed.

A large majority of summoned jurors will be trial jurors. Jury trials are held for criminal and civil cases. Most jury trials last one or two days, but occasionally take longer. The Court makes every effort to effectively use juror’s time and only calls jurors to report for service when trials are likely to go forward. The term of service for trial jurors is one month.​

​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 on 5th Street. You will be required to go through security, and any firearms, knives, leatherman tools, etc. will not be allowed in the building. Please report to the second floor of the courthouse, Room 206.​

​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 you having to show cause why you should not be held in contempt of court.​

​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 indicate that in your eResponse. 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 use the eResponse​ to indicate 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, Mail or Fax to 503-434-3043. 

​Requests for days off during your term of jury service may be arranged at least one week in advance by making a request to the jury coordinator by email or phone. 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.​

​​The term of service for a trial juror is one calendar month. A trial may begin at the end of the month and continue into the next. If you serve in a jury trial your service ends at the end of the trial. However, there may be rare occassions where not enough jurors report for a particular month and jurors who have been assigned to a trial are asked to continue their service.​

Jurors selected for grand jury will serve one day per week for three months.  

Check the Jury Reporting Instructions or call the jury recording at 1-877-201-3937​ ​​after 5:00 PM Sunday through Thursday ​during your term of service to determine when and where you are to report next.​

​If you are unable to serve during the month you have been summoned to appear, you may request to be deferred to another month within the eResponse System. You can view this video for assistance. 

To request a different date for your jury service, in the eResponse System, after completing the questionaire on the Home page click on Defer Service at the bottom. Select the reason of Deferral Requested from the drop-down and add Supporting Notes. Then select any available Tuesday within the month you prefer to serve and click Ok. 

Please note that jury service terms in Yamhill County begin on the 1st of each month, regardless of the Tuesday you choose within the month. You may only defer your jury service once.​

​If you are 70 years of age or older, you may request to be excused on the basis of age within the eResponse​ process.​ You can view this video for assistance on how to do that. You may also call 503-434-7498 or email yamhill.jury@ojd.state.or.us for assistance.

​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.​


Juror Videos

Additional Resources