If you’ve been summoned for Multnomah County jury duty, you’ll report to the Central Courthouse at 1200 SW First Avenue in Portland, third-floor jury room, by 8:00 a.m. on the date printed on your postcard. Most people serve two days unless they’re seated on a trial, pay starts at $10 per day, and you can request an excuse or deferral online through the Juror Response Form before your reporting date.
Who Qualifies to Serve
Oregon sets four baseline requirements: you must be a U.S. citizen, live in Multnomah County, be at least 18, and not have had your civil rights withdrawn without restoration.1Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Code 10 – Juries
Two extra disqualifications apply to criminal trial and grand jury summonses. You’re ineligible if you were convicted of a felony or finished a felony sentence within the last 15 years, or convicted of a misdemeanor involving violence or dishonesty within the last five years.1Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Code 10 – Juries These restrictions don’t apply to civil juries.
Getting Excused or Deferred
Several categories qualify for an automatic excuse. If you’re 70 or older, you can request one by phone or mail without giving a reason. If you’re breastfeeding, you can request one in writing.2Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 10.050 – Excuse from Jury Duty
Sole caregivers also qualify. If you’re the only person caring for a child or dependent during court hours, you can’t afford outside care, and you personally attend to that person, a judge or clerk will excuse you unless the court’s need for jurors outweighs your circumstances.1Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Code 10 – Juries
Anyone else can request an excuse based on undue hardship or extreme inconvenience to themselves, their family, or their employer. Financial hardship counts, but the court weighs it against its need for jurors. Explain the nature of the hardship when you submit the online Juror Response Form.2Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 10.050 – Excuse from Jury Duty
If you’re willing to serve, just not now, ask for a deferral instead. You can push your start date to any time within one year of the original summons by showing good cause. A second deferral is harder: you must again show good cause and hand the court at least 10 available dates within six months of the request.3Oregon Judicial Department. Oregon Juror Guide Submit the request through the online form, or by email, fax, or phone to the Jury Coordinator.4Oregon Judicial Department. Juror FAQs
How Long You’ll Actually Serve
The commitment depends on which type of summons you received.
- Regular jury duty runs two days. If you aren’t seated on a trial in that window, you’re done. If you are, you serve until the trial ends or a judge excuses you.
- Special jury duty starts with a one-day orientation, but the trials themselves can run two weeks or longer. The court’s jury schedule page lists expected trial lengths for upcoming special-set cases.
- Grand jury duty is a one-month term. Selection is held remotely by Webex and takes four to five hours; after that, grand jurors serve in person at the Central Courthouse for the rest of the month.
Pay, Mileage, and Job Protections
Jurors earn $10 per day for the first two days and $25 per day starting on day three.3Oregon Judicial Department. Oregon Juror Guide Mileage reimbursement is $0.20 per mile each way, along the shortest practical route between home and the courthouse.5Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 10.065 – Mileage Fee and Reimbursement of Other Expenses That won’t cover downtown parking, which runs roughly $15 to $25 per day in nearby garages, so factor transit into your planning.
Your Job
Oregon law makes it an unlawful employment practice for an employer to fire, threaten, or retaliate against you for serving on a jury or being scheduled to serve. Your employer also cannot force you to use vacation, sick, or annual leave for jury service; they must allow unpaid leave instead.6Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 10.090 – Prohibited Acts by Employers Against Jurors, Notice to Jurors, Remedy for Violations If either rule is violated, you can file a complaint with the Bureau of Labor and Industries or bring a civil action.
Health Insurance
If your employer has 10 or more employees, Oregon law requires them to continue your health, disability, life, and other insurance coverage while you serve. Employers with nine or fewer workers aren’t subject to that requirement, so continued coverage depends on your company’s own benefits policy.7State of Oregon. Leave for Jury Duty
What Reporting Day Looks Like
When your summons arrives, check the start date on the postcard and respond through the online Juror Response Form. You’ll answer an initial questionnaire, and this is where you request a deferral or excuse if you need one.4Oregon Judicial Department. Juror FAQs
On the day itself, plan to arrive at the courthouse at 1200 SW First Avenue by 7:30 a.m. so you can clear security and be seated in the third-floor jury room by 8:00 a.m.8Oregon Judicial Department. Jury Duty – Home Public parking downtown is limited and expensive; TriMet MAX and bus stops are within a short walk of the entrance. Build in extra time on Monday mornings when the security line is longest. Bring the summons postcard with you.
Security screening uses walk-through metal detectors, X-ray machines, and hand-held wands, and laptops come out of bags for the X-ray like at an airport.9Oregon Judicial Department. Juror Information on Courthouse Security Firearms (concealed carry permits included), pocket knives, multi-tools, scissors, pepper spray, stun devices, knitting needles, and marijuana in any form are all prohibited, and staff will not hold them for you. Leave them at home or in your car.10Multnomah County District Attorney. Courthouse Security
Dress is business casual: collared shirts, slacks, and closed-toe shoes are safe. Oregon’s Uniform Trial Court Rules require attire that doesn’t detract from the dignity of the proceedings, hats come off inside the courtroom, and shorts and tank tops aren’t appropriate. Improperly dressed jurors can be sent out of the courtroom.
Once you’re checked in, staff will run a brief orientation and explain the day. From there you either wait in the assembly room or get called to a courtroom for selection. If you aren’t picked for a trial in the two-day window, your service is complete.
Accessibility Accommodations
If you need an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, such as a sign language interpreter, assistive listening device, or wheelchair-accessible seating, submit the request at least four court days before your reporting date. Use the ADA Accommodation Request form on the Multnomah County Circuit Court website, or contact the ADA Coordinator directly for help with the form or an alternative format.11Oregon Judicial Department. Accessibility The court can waive the four-day notice for good cause, so contact them even if your need comes up later. The ADA Coordinator can be reached at 971-236-8671 or MUL.ADA.Coordinator@ojd.state.or.us. For TTY access, dial 711 for Telecommunications Relay Service.
What Happens If You Ignore the Summons
Skipping jury duty without an approved excuse isn’t something the court lets slide. If you fail to appear, the court will order you to come in and explain why. If you don’t show for that hearing, or you appear but can’t show good cause, the judge can hold you in contempt.12Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 10.990 – Penalties Contempt sanctions in Oregon can reach a fine of up to $500 or one percent of your annual gross income, whichever is greater.13Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Code 33 – Contempt of Court The same rules apply if you leave the courthouse without permission once court is in session.
If your date genuinely won’t work, ask for a deferral. The online form takes a few minutes; a contempt hearing takes considerably longer and starts in front of a judge who already knows you didn’t show.