Highest Court
The highest court in Oregon is the Supreme Court of Oregon. The Supreme Court consists of 7 justices. It has jurisdiction over (1) Mandatory jurisdiction in capital criminal, administrative agency, disciplinary, and original proceeding cases. (2) Discretionary jurisdiction in civil, noncapital criminal, administrative agency, juvenile, disciplinary, certified questions from federal courts, and original proceeding cases.
Intermediate Courts
Court of Appeals
The Court of Appeals consists
of 10 judges. It has jurisdiction over (1) Mandatory jurisdiction in capital
criminal administrative agency, noncapital criminal, administrative agency,
juvenile, original proceeding, and interlocutory decision cases.
(2) No discretionary jurisdiction.
General Courts
Tax Court
The Tax Court consist of 1 judge.
It has jurisdiction over (1) Appeals from county boards of equalization
and Oregon Department of Revenue. (2) Magistrate Division-6 Magistrates
Circuit Court
The Circuit Court consist of 169
judges. (27 judicial districts in 36 counties). It has jurisdiction
over (1) Tort, contract, real property rights ($0/no maximum), adoption,
probate, civil appeals, and mental health. (2) Exclusive domestic
relations (except adoption), miscellaneous civil jurisdiction, misdemeanor,
exclusive felony, criminal appeals, libel, slander, false imprisonment,
and malicious prosecution. (3) Ordinance violation. (4) Juvenile.
Jury trials for most case types.
Limited Courts
County Court
The County Court consists of 7 judges.
It has jurisdiction over (1) Adoption, mental health, and probate. (2)
Juvenile.
No Jury trials are overseen by this
court.
Justice Court
The Justice Court consist of 30
judges. It has jurisdiction over (1) Tort, contract, personal property
rights ($5,000), and small claims. (2) Misdemeanor and DWI/DUI.
(3) Moving traffic, parking, and miscellaneous traffic. (4) Preliminary
hearings.
No jury trials are overseen by this
court.
Municipal Court
The Municipal Court of 94 judges.
It has jurisdiction over (1) Misdemeanor and DWI/DUI. (2) Traffic/other
violation.
No jury trials are overseen by this
court.
Additional Information
Qualifications of judges
Oregon Supreme Court judges are
to be citizens of the United States, have resided in Oregon for at least
3 years next preceding their election or appointment, and at the time of
election be admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Oregon.
(Oregon Revised Statute 2.020)
Court Publications Account
The Court Publications Account is
a part of the General Fund for the use of paying expenses under ORS 2.150
and all or part of the expenses of providing electronic access to the State
of Oregon Law Library and other official Judicial Department publications.
(Oregon Revised Statute 2.165)
Procedure for review of decisions
of Court of Appeals.
An party seeking appeal from a Court
of Appeals decision has 35 days after the date of the decision to petition
the Supreme Court. (Oregon Revised Statute 2.520)
Circuit judges to be members
of bar
A person must be a member of the
Oregon State Bar to be eligible to the office of judge of the circuit court.
(Oregon Revised Statute 3.050)
Matters assignable to family
court department
The family court department may
be assigned the following matter by the presiding judge of the judicial
district: (1) Proceedings under the provisions of ORS chapters
25, 107, 108, 109 and 110; (2) Guardianship proceedings for minors
under the provisions of ORS chapter 125; (3) Juvenile court proceedings
under ORS chapters 419A, 419B and 419C; (4) Proceedings to commit
a mentally ill person under the provisions of ORS chapter 426 and ORS 430.397
to 430.401; (5) Probate proceedings under ORS chapters 111, 112,
113, 114, 115, 116 and 117; (6) Any other proceeding in which a family
is involved, and (7) any criminal proceeding that involves domestic violence
or other crime between family members. (Oregon Revised Statute 3.408)
Assignment of matters relating
to same child
Cases assigned to the family court
department under ORS 3.408 shall assign the same judge in all cases in
which the same minor child is involved. (Oregan Revised Statute 3.414)
Order of docketing and disposal
of business; records of proceedings
The business of the county court
at each term shall be docketed and disposed of in the following order:
(a) Judicial business. (b) County business. The proceedings and records
of the court pertaining to the respective classifications of business specified
in this section shall be kept in separate books. (Oregon Revised Statute
5.100)
