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Jury Duty: We’re walking, we’re walking … we’re summoned, we’re summoned!

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I’m not the only one who found this story (also in the Oregonian, print on 8/30/08) interesting – see Jack Bog’s Blog post (and Comments). And this is not the first jury-duty story I’ve read recently about jurors in Oregon not showing up, and what happens when they don’t. (My previous posts about jury service here and here.)

Text of ORS 10.235: Additional jurors; selection; notice.

(1) When an additional number of jurors is needed for a jury service term in a county because the term jury list for the term becomes exhausted, or in the opinion of the presiding judge for the judicial district is likely to become exhausted, before the end of the term, additional jurors may be selected and summoned as provided in this section.

(2) The presiding judge for the judicial district may order an additional number of names selected from the master jury list and added to the term jury list in the same manner as the original term jury list is prepared. As directed by the presiding judge of the circuit court, the persons whose names are added to the term jury list shall be summoned by the clerk of court giving written notice to each of them by mail or by the sheriff or other officer giving written notice to each of them personally or by leaving written notice at the person’s place of residence with some person of suitable age and discretion. The notice need be given only a reasonable time before the day on which the persons summoned are required to attend.

(3) If the master jury list becomes exhausted or in the opinion of the presiding judge is likely to become exhausted, the presiding judge may order that the clerk of court select an additional number of names from the source lists described in ORS 10.215 (1) and that the persons whose names are so selected be summoned as provided in subsection (2) of this section.

(4) If there is an immediate need for additional jurors, a judge of the circuit court for the county may direct the clerk of court, sheriff or other officer to summon a sufficient number of eligible persons to meet that need. Those persons shall be summoned as directed by the judge. [1985 c.703 §15; 1995 c.781 §26]” (Text of entire 2007 ORS is here, and the 2008 Special Session Laws are here.)

Note: “We’re walking, we’re walking,” from funny movie Dave; and if you’ve seen the scene, you’ll talk the “walk.”

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6 responses to “Jury Duty: We’re walking, we’re walking … we’re summoned, we’re summoned!”

  1. Anonymous says:

    If they want people to show up for jury duty they should have to at least pay minimum wage for service.
    Looking at the high wages judges and attorneys recieve why should anyone serve the court for $10 a day.And honestly I think the whole lot of them are corrupt.
    And why I should have to stand up
    when the judge enters the court romm is beyond me.
    It seems that most judges used to be attorneys and certainly do not deserve any respect from me!

  2. Anonymous says:

    My husband has just been called. He's a logger, lucky enough to be working. Taking time off affects his whole crew since he drives them to work. Why aren't they pulling names from the unemployment data base? we depend on his income and he is not compensated for the lost wages…unemployment is the highest in the nation call one of those unlucky people.

  3. Anonymous says:

    I was recently summoned for Jury Duty in Lane County even though I had already served Jury Duty within the last 12 months (the law states that “Anyone who has served on jury duty in a state or federal court in Oregon within the last 24 months is not eligible”).
    I sent back the form to be excused not only because I already served my county court in the last 12 months, but also due to the financial hardship it would impose. In addition to that I would lose by health benefits from my job if I do not work all of the part time hours I'm given. Since my kids are home schooled, I'm needed here to help with their lessons before leaving for my evening job.
    Also, the county court house is 60 miles away from our home on the coast and I do not have reliable transportation to travel over the coastal mountains to the valley.
    In spite of all these reasons the court clerk denied my request to be excused. Since it's impossible for me to come, I guess they'll need to waste more of our tax dollars to hold a contempt of court trial and then have me arrested for not showing up for that trial either. It's all just absolutely absurd !!!
    Government at every level is getting more and more intrusive. I'm beginning to wonder if this is still the free America that I was raised to believe in ???

  4. Anonymous says:

    I personally can not wait until I have the privilege to serve in a jury, I am especially fond of the idea of Jury Nullification.

    Here is the wikipedia article about it, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification

    Next time you get called in, keep that in mind. We can get the intrusive government off of our backs by showing them that the laws they waste tax payer money on to enforce are absurd and pointless.

  5. Anonymous says:

    i have served the whole month of April and never had to come in to court except for 1 day and my job had no one to cover for me so i couldn't make it that day. I drive a school bus. What was i supposed to do? Tell the kids and parents that there was no transportation for them that day so i could go sit in a room in case my number is drawn? So the Jury person in charge calls me and tells me she is deferring me to the month of either July or August now because i missed the one day!! Thats my vacation time and I have made plans… what can i do? Should i ask if i could just serve that one day and be done? Is that possible? I have called in every day this month!!

  6. […] hitherto little noticed section of the ORS (see also the Jury “Duty” post about ORS 10.235): this time, it’s ORS 153.058, Initiation of violation proceeding by private […]

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