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Jury Duty: We?re walking, we?re walking ? we?re summoned, we?re summoned!

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.?

Full post as published by Oregon Legal Research on September 03, 2008 (boomark / email).