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OJD-backed task force proposed to study barriers to jury service
Summary
Senate Bill 1175A would create a 15‑member task force convened by the Oregon Judicial Department to examine barriers to jury participation, including compensation, accessibility and outreach; OJD said it plans to staff the task force with in‑house staff and sought legislative partnership on statutory and budgetary recommendations.
The House Committee on Judiciary heard testimony April 23 on Senate Bill 1175A, which would establish a 15‑member task force directed to examine and recommend ways to remove barriers to jury service in Oregon and to submit a report by Dec. 15, 2026.
Aaron Nott, director of government relations for the Oregon Judicial Department, told the committee jury service remains foundational for the justice system but has declined since the COVID‑19 pandemic. He said the department expects to staff the task force with existing OJD personnel and emphasized the work is long‑standing and central to OJD’s access‑to‑justice plan. "We probably could have undertaken this on our own," Nott said, but legislative partnership is necessary because statutory and budgetary changes may be recommended.
Committee questions focused on compensation, length of service and county variations in practice; members observed that differences in how counties summon jurors and the anticipated duration of service (one day versus multiple weeks) could materially affect willingness to serve. Nott noted compensation and accessibility are recurring themes in outreach and that the task force is intended to examine a range of issues — from outreach and community trust to logistical impediments and pay.
Why it matters: declining jury participation can strain court operations and affect representative juries; the task force’s report could lead to statutory changes or budget requests addressing compensation, summons practices and accessibility.
Next steps: the committee received OJD testimony and closed the hearing; OJD cited that the work is already planned within its staffing and framed the bill as a vehicle to coordinate statutory and budgetary recommendations to the Legislature.
