Rule 11.120.Maintenance of Exhibits
Current through August 1, 2026 · Last verified September 12, 2026
Full Text of Rule 11.120
Plain-English Summary
Juvenile exhibits stay with the court. Documentary and nondocumentary alike, everything offered at a hearing or trial is maintained in the record of the case, in accordance with Oregon Judicial Department policy and any order entered under ORS 7.120. The rule frames all of this as the way the court meets its exhibit-keeping obligation under ORS 419A.255(1)(a).
Once exhibits are in the court's custody they do not leave without permission. Removal from the trial court's control requires a stipulation or an order of the court. That is not a lock on the door, though. The rule expressly preserves a party's ability to seek the release or return of exhibits before the times it specifies, so the route out is an ask rather than a wait.
On appeal, the movement is handled for you. When any party files a notice of appeal and the appellate court requests the exhibits under ORAP 3.25, the trial court promptly transmits both the documentary and the nondocumentary exhibits. Counsel is not gathering and shipping boxes.
The rule defines its own terms. Documentary exhibits include text documents, photos and maps if they are not oversized, and audio and video recordings. An oversized document is one larger than standard letter size or legal size.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I get my exhibits back after a juvenile hearing?
Not as a matter of course. The trial court maintains them in the record of the case, and exhibits in the court's custody are not removed from its control except by stipulation or court order. A party who wants an exhibit back can ask for its release or return.
What counts as a documentary exhibit under this rule?
Text documents, photos and maps if they are not oversized, and audio and video recordings. The rule defines an oversized document as one larger than standard letter size or legal size, and that size qualifier is what keeps an oversized document, photo, or map off the list.
Who sends juvenile exhibits to the appellate court?
The trial court. After any party files a notice of appeal, the trial court promptly transmits the documentary and nondocumentary exhibits when the appellate court requests them under ORAP 3.25.
Are nondocumentary exhibits handled differently from documents?
For custody and transmission, no. The court maintains both in the record of the case, and both go up to the appellate court on request. The definition in the rule matters for labeling and for what counts as oversized, not for who holds the exhibit.
What authority governs how the court stores juvenile exhibits?
The rule ties the practice to ORS 419A.255(1)(a) and directs the court to maintain exhibits in accordance with Oregon Judicial Department policy and any order entered under ORS 7.120. A judicial district's storage arrangements sit under those sources.