The Oregon Court system is a well-oiled machinery consisting of state trial and appellate courts, federal courts, tribal courts, and all other courts that are not part of the state court system. Courts of note are the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, the Tax Court, and the Circuit Courts.
The Supreme Court is the highest seat of judicial authority in the state. Only the United States Supreme Court is empowered to repeal or amend a verdict given by the Oregon Supreme Court. Though this Oregon Court is situated in Salem, it has been a tradition with the justices to visit different areas of the state throughout the year to hear, intervene, and resolve verbal disputes.
The Court of Appeals in Oregon is empowered to adjudicate all civil and criminal cases that have arisen at the circuit courts and also evaluate the actions of most state administrative agencies. The appellate court, however, has no jurisdiction over cases involving death penalties, whence the Supreme Court has to intervene. There are ten judges who serve the court, amongst whom the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court appoints one the Chief Judge.
The Tax Court in Oregon is a specialized judicial division that deals with the tax laws of the state. These include income taxes, property taxes, property tax limitations, corporate excise taxes, local budget laws, cigarette taxes, and timber taxes. This is a state trial court and as per Oregon court rules, this court can conduct trials and hear appeals from administrative actions and decisions.
The circuit courts are the other type of state trial courts in Oregon. There is a circuit court in each of the 36 counties of the state. Since January 1998, the district courts have also been brought under the ambit of the circuit courts. These are the general jurisdiction courts of the state.
Some courts in Oregon lie outside the purview of the state-aided court system. These are the local courts like the municipal, county, and justice courts. The Oregon Judicial Department does not possess administrative rights over these courts; however, state laws decree that the State Court Administrator maintain a registry of the municipal and justice courts. Municipal courts share jurisdiction rights with circuit and justice courts over all cases of misdemeanors and violations committed or apt to be tried in the city where the court is situated. In particular, these courts deal with Oregon court cases involving traffic violations and crimes; breach of municipal codes and ordinances like animal, trash, and high grass nuisances; vehicle forfeitures and impoundments; parking and pedestrian infringements; minor tobacco, liquor and drug offences.
County courts are prevalent in only seven of the 36 Oregon counties: Gilliam, Sherman, Wheeler, Harney, Grant, Malheur, and Morrow. These courts have the right to adjudicate juvenile and probate matters.
The justice court is presided over by a justice of peace who has the right to adjudicate all criminal cases, except felony trials, that arise within their county. The court is also empowered to judge all civil cases except libel, slander, malicious prosecution, actions related to title to a property, and cases where the amount of controversy does not exceed $5,000.
