Half of Oregonians don’t answer jury duty call or ask to be excused; new task force aims to ease barriers to serving

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — National surveys show that most Americans think juries are important, but about one in four Oregonians didn’t respond when state courts summoned them for jury duty this year. Another 25% asked to be excused from jury service.

A new statewide task force will start meeting in January to look at why this is happening and how to remove barriers that keep people from serving.

The Task Force on Removing Barriers to Jury Service was created by Senate Bill 1175, a new law passed during the 2025 legislative session.

“The constitutional right to a trial by jury is a cornerstone of U.S. democracy and the Oregon judicial system,” Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice Meagan A. Flynn said. “Whether jurors end up serving during a trial or not, participation in the jury process helps protect the right to a fair trial, promotes civic engagement and increases the public’s understanding of the justice system.”

“Yet the number of Oregonians answering the call to jury service is declining, often due to barriers beyond their control,” she said. “Many cannot afford to take time off work, find it too difficult to travel to a faraway courthouse, or may not have someone to take care of their children while they serve. This makes it harder to ensure that those who do serve fully represent their communities.”

Chief Justice Flynn, Gov. Tina Kotek, and legislative leaders appointed 15 task force members from all three branches of government. Together, they will:

• Look at how Oregon pays people who serve on juries, see how that affects how many people show up for jury service and compare Oregon to other states.
• Suggest ways to improve how jurors are paid so that more people are willing and able to serve.
• Come up with ideas for how to inform the public about jury service and why it’s important.
• Find and suggest solutions to other problems that make it hard for people to serve on a jury.

The task force must turn in a final report by Dec. 15, 2026.

About Jury Service in Oregon

At Oregon's state courts in 2025:

• More than 578,000 Oregonians have been called for jury duty.
• About 25% of people who received a jury summons asked to be excused from jury duty. The number of people asking for excusals has gone up about 16% each year since 2017.
• The courts granted excusals to about 21% of people who asked for it.
• Nearly 26% of people did not respond to their jury summons.

When people do respond and are picked to serve, they might be on a jury for just one day or for several months. This depends on the type of jury and the length of the trial.

State Law for Juror Payment

• Oregon pays jurors $10 per day for the first two days, and $25 per day after that.
• If jurors get paid by their employer for the work time they miss, they must turn down the juror payment from the state, unless their job contract allows them to take both.
• In all situations, the state pays jurors either 20 cents for every mile between their home and the courthouse, or the cost of a roundtrip public transportation ticket.

State Law for Employers

• Oregon does not require employers to pay workers for the time they miss while serving on a jury.
• Employers with 10 or more workers do still have to provide health, disability, life, or other insurance coverage for employees during their jury service.
• Employers cannot fire, threaten or pressure someone because they are serving.
• Employers cannot require people to use vacation or sick time for jury service.

Task Force Members

• Tom Andersen, (D-Salem), Oregon State Legislature
• Bryan Brock, Oregon District Attorneys Association
• Timothy Dooley, Association of Oregon Counties
• Keren Farkas, Oregon State Bar
• Nansi Lopez, state Racial Justice Council
• James I. Manning, Jr., (D-Eugene), Oregon State Legislature
• Kimberly McCullough (chair), Oregon Judicial Department government relations
• Judge Tucker Rossetto, Beaverton Municipal Court
• Presiding Judge Matthew Shirtcliff, Baker County Circuit Court
• Judge Chanpone Sinlapasai, Multnomah County Circuit Court
• Kim Thatcher, (R-Keizer), Oregon State Legislature
• Kia Tolbert, a Roseburg attorney who provides legal defense in criminal proceedings
• Kim Wallan, (R-Medford), Oregon State Legislature
• Royce Williams, a Portland attorney with experience with civil jury trials
• Vacant – representative of an association representing businesses (person previously appointed has changed positions; new appointment coming soon)