If you miss jury duty in Oregon, the court will send you an order to appear and explain why you didn’t show up. Ignore that order, and a judge can hold you in contempt, impose a fine of up to $500 or more, and jail you for up to six months. In rare cases, the court issues a bench warrant for your arrest. The process is set out in ORS 10.990, and the fastest way to stop it is to call the court before things escalate further.1Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Revised Statute Chapter 10 – Juries
The Court’s First Move: An Order to Show Cause
Oregon doesn’t fine you automatically. When you fail to appear, ORS 10.990 requires the court to issue what’s called an order to show cause. It’s a formal court document telling you to appear in front of a judge on a specific date and explain your absence.1Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Revised Statute Chapter 10 – Juries
This hearing is your chance. Bring evidence. A medical emergency, a death in the family, a scheduling conflict you genuinely couldn’t move — if you can document it, the judge has discretion to excuse the absence and reschedule your service. The burden is on you. The court is not going to go looking for reasons to let you off; you have to bring them.
Treat the show-cause order the way you’d treat a subpoena. Skipping it, or showing up without a real explanation, is what sets the serious penalties in motion.
Contempt of Court, Fines, and Jail Time
If the show-cause hearing doesn’t go your way, the court can hold you in contempt. That’s where the actual penalties live. Under ORS 33.105, a judge can impose a punitive fine of up to $500 per contempt finding, or one percent of your annual gross income, whichever is higher. The judge can also order up to six months in jail, community service, or probation.2Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Revised Statute Chapter 33 – Contempt of Court
You may have run across a figure of $720 floating around online. That number isn’t in Oregon’s jury statute. It appears to come from a mix-up with ORS 10.990(1), which covers tampering with jury lists — a different offense entirely. Missing your service date is handled under ORS 10.990(2), through the contempt process above.1Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Revised Statute Chapter 10 – Juries
In practice, judges rarely impose the maximum on a first-time no-show who cooperates. The penalties scale with how much the person has stonewalled the court.
When the Court Issues a Bench Warrant
Ignore both the summons and the show-cause order, and the court can issue a bench warrant authorizing law enforcement to arrest you. According to the Oregon Judicial Department, this step is rare but it does happen.3Oregon Judicial Department. Find Juror Information
Once a bench warrant is in the system, it stays there until you’re brought before the court. Any routine police contact — a traffic stop, a background check — can trigger the arrest. The warrant exists to force your appearance, not to punish you for the original missed date, but the practical reality is unpleasant. Being arrested at work or during a traffic stop is a far worse outcome than a rescheduled jury date.
What to Do If You’ve Already Missed Your Date
Call the court now. Find the Jury Coordinator’s phone number on your original summons, or look up your county court on the Oregon Judicial Department website.3Oregon Judicial Department. Find Juror Information Have your summons number and the scheduled date ready.
Be straightforward about why you missed and say you’re willing to serve on another date. Gather documentation that backs up your reason:
- A doctor’s note on the provider’s letterhead, describing the condition that prevented you from serving and signed by the treating provider
- Travel receipts if you were out of state
- Proof of a family emergency, such as a hospital record or funeral notice
Acting quickly can stop the escalation before any show-cause order goes out. If the court has already issued one, your priority shifts to appearing at that hearing with the same documentation in hand. Courts deal with missed jury dates all the time. A cooperative juror who shows up to fix the problem is treated far more favorably than someone who keeps ignoring the court.
Reasons the Court Will Accept
Some situations qualify you to be excused outright. Under ORS 10.050, a judge or court clerk must excuse you if you are 70 or older and request it, if you are breastfeeding a child and submit a written request, or if you are the sole caregiver for a child or dependent during court hours and can’t afford or arrange alternative care.1Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Revised Statute Chapter 10 – Juries
Beyond those categories, the court can excuse anyone whose service would cause undue hardship or extreme inconvenience to themselves, their family, their employer, or the public they serve. You can make that request by phone, mail, or any method the court accepts.
If you don’t qualify for an excuse but have a conflict with the specific date, ask about a deferral. Under ORS 10.055, a judge or court clerk may let you postpone to a different term within one year of your original summons. Only one deferral is typically allowed. Your name goes back into the pool for the later term.1Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Revised Statute Chapter 10 – Juries
Any of these grounds, raised honestly at the show-cause hearing with documentation, is likely to result in rescheduling rather than contempt.
If Your Summons Was for Federal Court
Check which court issued your summons. If it came from a federal district court rather than an Oregon circuit court, state law doesn’t apply. Under 28 U.S.C. § 1866, failing to appear for federal jury duty without good cause can result in a fine of up to $1,000, up to three days in jail, community service, or a combination of all three.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 U.S. Code 1866 – Selection and Summoning of Jury Panels The process mirrors the state version: the court orders you to appear and show cause, and penalties follow if you can’t explain yourself.
Watch Out for Jury Duty Scams
Scammers know people are afraid of missing jury duty, and they use that fear. The typical pitch is a phone call or email from someone claiming to be a U.S. Marshal or police officer who says you missed jury duty and will be arrested unless you pay immediately. According to the FTC, the tell is always the payment method: gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or payment apps.5Federal Trade Commission. That Call or Email Saying You Missed Jury Duty and Need to Pay? Its a Scam
No court in Oregon collects jury duty fines over the phone. Real penalties are imposed by a judge in a courtroom after a show-cause hearing. If someone calls demanding immediate payment, or wants your Social Security number to “verify your identity,” hang up. You can always confirm the status of your jury service by calling your county court directly, using the number on your original summons or the Oregon Judicial Department website.