Municipal Court

Announcements

Update on Eugene Municipal Court Operations During COVID-19

Posted: 2/25/2021

Under Governor Kate Brown’s Oregon’s Risk and Protection Framework  Lane County falls within the high risk category due to the spread of COVID-19 in our community. 

To meet requirements and protect public health, Eugene’s Municipal Court instituted the following changes on February 26:

 

  • Eugene Municipal Court is open for in person court appearances, by appointment only. 
  • All virtual and in-custody court appearances will continue as scheduled.        
  • In-custody court appearances are held daily at the Lane County Jail and can be viewed publicly from that location.  
  • Public viewing for other jail and virtual appearances is available onsite at the courthouse for a limited number of individuals. 
  • Court appearances scheduled during the extreme risk closure will be set-over to a future court date.   

These measures will continue while the State of Oregon has assigned Lane County at the High Risk level for COVID19. 

 

Please make sure the municipal court has your current address to receive notices.

 

Most court business can be handled online, over the phone, or via mail. The best way to get a message to the court is through email, postal mail, or the drop box outside the courthouse. 

 

Individuals with pending criminal charges are encouraged to call their attorneys for further information on clearing outstanding warrants. If you would like a virtual appearance in place of your in-person appearance, please contact your attorney and request a virtual appearance.  If you do not have an attorney, please contact the court and request a virtual appearance.  Virtual appearances can happen from most any personal device (phone, tablet, or computer).

 

Contact Eugene Municipal Court

 

Court Appointed Attorney Contacts

  • Eckart Wostmann Wiese: 541-689-3261
  • Rosta & Connelly: 541-343-8111
  • Jessica Saydack: 541-852-2141


Please continue to check back as the risk assignment changes for Lane County.


Court Session Viewing

Posted: 10/1/2020

Eugene Municipal Court has  public viewing on-site for both virtual and in person court appearances.  To observe court sessions, please check in at 1102 Lincoln St.


Eugene Municipal Court resumes limited services

Posted: 6/16/2020

Updated: 7/23/2020

Beginning Wednesday, June 17, the Eugene Municipal Court will reopen in a limited capacity. Court staff are rescheduling citations issued during the closure of the court building. The court will see people according to the following schedule:


As of July 6

The court will see individuals by appointment only. All persons cited or otherwise ordered by the court to appear will take priority for entry over most other matters appearing at the courthouse.  No visitors will be allowed in the building.


Note to local attorneys and social service agencies providing support for community members: If someone other than the attorney of record is coming for a court appearance, the court needs notification 24 hours in advance. Please contact the court for more information on how to be granted admittance to the courthouse.


Jury trials

All non-essential jury trials are currently being scheduled in November 2020 or later. If someone is called to serve as a juror, they should call the number on their summons to confirm their final juror instructions. Jury rooms have been modified to allow for six feet of distancing, face coverings are required, and rooms have been sanitized and are not in use except for essential jury trials.


Effective July 20, the court will resume normal course for processes related to late fees, collections, and license suspensions.


The court has created several ways to resolve citations remotely:

  • Payments for parking, violations, and crimes can be paid online.
  • Those who believe they qualify for fine reduction or deferral programs may mail, email, or use the court dropbox for a clerk review. This may also be completed using the Municipal Court’s online form.
  • Those who would like to dispute citations can request a trial to be set via email, mail, or placed in the dropbox outside of the courthouse. The court will respond to the dispute in writing: please make sure there is a correct address in the correspondence. This may also be completed using the Municipal Court’s online form.
  • Those with pending criminal cases should contact their defense attorney.

Court Appointed Attorney Contacts

  • Eckart Wostmann Wiese (541) 689-3261
  • Rosta & Connelly (541)541 343-8111
  • Jessica Saydack (541)852-2141


Municipal Court COVID-19 limitations and safety precautions for limited reopening


  • The court is limiting the numbers of non-employees in the building to 20 people.
  • All in-person appearances are available for public viewing on YouTube Live. All telephonic and virtual appearances will be available for public viewing on YouTube Live and/or Zoom. The information for attendance will be on the court’s public website.
  • Everyone will wear a face covering in public spaces and in secured areas.
  • Everyone will be asked a set of health questions prior to entry at the front door (no temperatures will be taken at the front door).
  • Defendants coming to be fingerprinted will be temperature checked prior to fingerprinting.
  • Doors will be propped open as much as possible to minimize touching of handles.
  • Furniture has been adjusted to accommodate sanitization and proper physical distancing.
  • The court will have cleaning services on-site during the day and a full sanitization cleaning each evening.
  • The court’s new security system is in place. All members of the public must pass through the security station.
  • The court has added footprints and other markings throughout the courthouse to provide visual cues for where to sit or wait with appropriate physical distance.

General Information

The Eugene Municipal Court was established by City Charter to adjudicate violations of the City’s municipal laws occurring within the city limits.


The City of Eugene has also adopted the Oregon State Vehicle Code by ordinance, which gives the Eugene Municipal Court jurisdiction over these offenses within the City.


All Eugene Municipal Court proceedings are governed by State of Oregon laws governing justice courts. Keeping in mind the unique nature of the Eugene community, the Eugene Municipal Court offers fair and reasonable adjudication of cases and, where appropriate, the imposition of sanctions.


Court sanctions may include fines, time in jail, community service, road / work crew, diversion / probation, or other alternative programs, depending upon the severity of the offense and the defendant’s history with the court.


Disclaimer

The information on this site does not constitute legal advice, it is provided for information only. While we make every effort to provide accurate information, there is no guarantee as to the a