ORS 107.600: Privacy of proceedings; confidentiality of communications; records.

(1) All hearings, conferences and other proceedings held pursuant to circuit court exercise of conciliation jurisdiction pursuant to ORS 107.540 or 107.550 shall be held in private, and all persons other than officers of the court, conciliation services personnel, the spouses, their counsel and witnesses shall be excluded. (2) All communications, verbal or written, between spouses and from spouses to counselors, the court, attorneys, doctors or others engaged in the conciliation proceedings, made in conciliation conferences, hearings and other proceedings had pursuant to the exercise of the court’s conciliation jurisdiction shall be confidential. A spouse or any other individual engaged in conciliation proceedings shall not be examined in any civil or criminal action as to such communications. Exceptions to testimonial privilege otherwise applicable under ORS 40.225 to 40.295 do not apply to communications made confidential under this subsection. (3) All records of the court with respect to exercise of conciliation jurisdiction shall be closed. However, any petition filed under ORS 107.550, any written reconciliation agreement between the spouses and any court order made in the matter may be opened to inspection by either spouse or counsel upon written authorization by a judge of the court. [1963 c.434 §10; 1965 c.625 §6; 1981 c.892 §88]