ORS 51.050 Criminal jurisdiction; transfer to circuit court

Except as otherwise provided in this section, in addition to the criminal jurisdiction of justice courts already conferred upon and exercised by them, justice courts have jurisdiction of all offenses committed or triable in their respective counties. The jurisdiction conveyed by this section is concurrent with any jurisdiction that may be exercised by a circuit court or municipal court.

In any justice court that has not become a court of record under ORS 51.025, a defendant charged with a misdemeanor shall be notified immediately after entering a plea of not guilty of the right of the defendant to have the matter transferred to the circuit court for the county where the justice court is located. The election shall be made within 10 days after the plea of not guilty is entered, and the justice shall immediately transfer the case to the appropriate court.

A justice court does not have jurisdiction over the trial of any felony or a designated drug-related misdemeanor as defined in ORS 423.478. A justice court does not have jurisdiction over Class E violations. Except as provided in ORS 51.037, a justice court does not have jurisdiction over offenses created by the charter or ordinance of any city.