[Misc] Jury Service

[Westdene Seagull]

A week case for stealing a mower? Are you sure?

I'm very sure thank you. Didn't start until late on the Monday. Days in the court room were typically 10.30 ish till 3.00 with an hour for lunch. Loads of delays due to witnesses not being on time, hearing problems etc. The court process is sssllllloooowwww.

 

[Napier's Knee]

I've done it once, at Hove, and thoroughly recommend it. Yes there is a lot of sitting around (so definitely take something good to read) but the legal process is fascinating. I sat on two cases and learned a lot about the stupidity, malice and for that matter kindness of people. The only real problem was a Lewes tree-hugger fellow jury member who wanted to know the complete life story of the accused.

 

[blue'n'white]

My last job involved me writing witness statements for the police and CPS. Got called to court many many times but only actually appeared as a prosecution witness twice.
My over riding impression of the CPS was of incompetence
My manager at the time had to serve on a jury in Belmarsh prison which he said was very scary being locked up at the start of the day !

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Never done it, but if I did I would probably doze off and get done for contempt.

 

[raymondo]

If you want to be selected... better not to wear a suit (so the wizards say)

 

[Weststander]

Forgot to mention that in my earlier post. Had a couple of people who had sat for 6 weeks listening to evidence from 50+ witnesses. Got into the jury room, and turns out they'd made their mind up on Morning 1 based purely on the prosecution's opening statements.

Was actually amazing how little attention some people had paid, and how judgmental people were. Some of them we weren't able to talk round or persuade them to think a bit more. Quite scary really.

The same for me.

I made notes in Court of key facts, timelines and the judges points of law specifically interpreted for us. For example, one explained a law change on the definition of sexual content. This stopped me from feeling tired and proved valuable later in the Jury room.

We too managed to slow down the process in the Jury Room, from being cajoled by the hangems and conversely the liberals, who wanted it over to get home early.

One of the jurors said when they'd served in the past, a couple of female jurors were bored by the whole thing, took zero interest and simply said that they'd go with the majority to get home!

 

[Left Footer]

Had 2 weeks last May and ended up in Edward Street doing two cases (both sexual assaults so pretty harrowing watching people go through it in detail). Had dreaded the whole experience but ended up loving every minute, even the sitting around waiting. Most days were 10 til 4 if you were on a case sometimes finishing earlier, the whole thing was like a friggin holiday.

The Court paid all of my wages plus the daily allowance you got.

I`d totally understand that it`s a ballache for the self-employed.

 

[happypig]

If you actually get on a case, google the defendant and get an "associate" to pop round and see what a "not guilty" verdict is worth. Might be a nice little earner in it for you.

 

[timbha]

If you actually get on a case, google the defendant and get an "associate" to pop round and see what a "not guilty" verdict is worth. Might be a nice little earner in it for you.

Joking apart, if you are on the jury googling a case, defendant, etc is a criminal offence.
At Hove courts if someone wants a ciggy during deliberations you all have to go with them but you’re not allowed to use the canteen/cafe cos it’s used by relatives, friends of defendant, yet you can go out for a walk alone at lunch!

 

[Rowdey]

If you want to be selected... better not to wear a suit (so the wizards say)

The Court paid all of my wages plus the daily allowance you got.

I`d totally understand that it`s a ballache for the self-employed.

In an ideal world, yes, sounds an interesting thing to do, but in the real world for the self employed, anyone else also got more advice on frankly how to get out of it, or not get selected once there..?

 

[Is it PotG?]

In an ideal world, yes, sounds an interesting thing to do, but in the real world for the self employed, anyone else also got more advice on frankly how to get out of it, or not get selected once there..?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/money-saving-tips/10273024/What-are-your-options-if-summoned-to-jury-duty.html

 

[happypig]

In an ideal world, yes, sounds an interesting thing to do, but in the real world for the self employed, anyone else also got more advice on frankly how to get out of it, or not get selected once there..?

My mrs got out of it because she was breast-feeding our newborn son.

 

[maffew]

I'm very sure thank you. Didn't start until late on the Monday. Days in the court room were typically 10.30 ish till 3.00 with an hour for lunch. Loads of delays due to witnesses not being on time, hearing problems etc. The court process is sssllllloooowwww.

I wasn't, actually I suppose I was questioning you. It sound like the court case was longer than what the sentence should be, I guess its burglary or something

 

[Pinkie Brown]

Fascinating read and pretty much confirms what I've heard from others. I must be about the only person who has never been called to serve on a jury amongst friends and peers over the years. In the past, I knew two people who had been called up twice over the years.

There are pros & cons for the jury system. The biggest con being the 'mental capacity' of some jurors. When somebodys future is dependant on lay judgement, having an idiot or somebody with an agenda isn't ideal. I remember reading of a case a few years back where a Crown Court judge described the jury as idiots, although in more learned words obviously. I once worked with a man who was called up for jury service. I would struggle to think of a more unsuitable person. I wouldn't trust him to judge a dog show, let alone sit on a jury. Luckily for any defendants, he was never chosen and was sent home most days.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

I was exempt for a similar reason to you, but I only have to get to August now, to be too old. I don't think they raised the age limit a couple of years ago.

The upper age threshold for a juror is going from 70 to 75.

I'm 57 now and NEVER been called and I only have speeding offences on my criminal record and no torts [done a bit of Law at Uni] against me either [aka upstanding citizen].
I'm rather cross [envious] that [MENTION=12241]surlyseagull[/MENTION] has been called up THREE times - is call up entirely random? Anyone know how it works?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

The upper age threshold for a juror is going from 70 to 75.

I'm 57 now and NEVER been called and I only have speeding offences on my criminal record and no torts [done a bit of Law at Uni] against me either [aka upstanding citizen].
I'm rather cross [envious] that [MENTION=12241]surlyseagull[/MENTION] has been called up THREE times - is call up entirely random? Anyone know how it works?

I knew they were thinking of raising it, but haven't yet?

 

[raymondo]

In an ideal world, yes, sounds an interesting thing to do, but in the real world for the self employed, anyone else also got more advice on frankly how to get out of it, or not get selected once there..?

You could wear a black suit, black tie, pure white shirt, have a useful black cloth showing in your suit breast pocket, short hair slicked back with grease, a nazi badge on one lapel plus a grim-reaper badge on t'other - might work

 

[The Hon Sec]

I am right on the upper age limit and got called last year for the first time.
I reported to Lewes where I was selected for a case on my first day but had to declare an interest so was stood down. ( It was a BHA v Southampton affray in town somewhere so I informed the court that I was a S/T holder of one of the clubs).
The next day I was sent to Brighton where I was selected for a case where, after a couple of days, most of us thought that there so many holes in the prosecution case that we would be giving a 'not guilty' verdict. After a break in proceedings we were informed the accused had changed his plea to guilty! He had a string of convictions on his record. I assume, personally, that the police were so certain they had the right man that they were bit lazy in their investigation.
After that I was sent to Hove where the case involved a young man who appeared to have a successful career ahead of him in the city. I think that most of the members of the jury were very concerned in this case what a 'guilty' verdict would do to the accused's future and there was a lot deliberation before a verdict was reached.
I found the whole process very interesting but quite stressful. There was a lot of waiting around even when sitting on a jury. It was useful to know the background of other Jury members as part of an introduction and the fact that a couple were health professionals in one case proved helpful.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I've been SUMMONSED next month. Always quite fancied it tbh, I'm curious to see the whole judicial process first hand. Big fan of 12 Angry Men. Anyone here done it before ? OBVIOUSLY I'm aware the case cannot be discussed, so I won't be revisiting this thread once the case kicks off (assuming I'm not weeded out at the selection stage anyway). But I'd be very interested to hear of anyone elses experiences with this important civic duty.

Likewise in theory I find the process interesting, but I fear, from what I've heard, as a juror, it's a lot of sitting around bored and likely to be sent home. If you do get a case it is not likely to be anything interesting, so I think it is probably not what you think it would be.

I have been called twice, but didn't attend as I am permanently excused on health grounds.

 

[Mellotron]

After 5 weeks we finally started deliberations and a woman juror declared , without any evidence having been presented on this, that the PA was blinded with love for her boss and couldn’t be guilty and Lancaster man said that as a devout Christian he couldn’t judge his fellow man. They were both put right but 3 other jurors believed her to be not guilty (for sound reasons). We we were locked for about 3-4 hours when the judge said he would accept a 10/2 verdict and one of the 3 said he was hungry and changed his vote so we marched in for the verdict; every bit as tense as depicted in films. He was packed off to Wandsworth and she to Holloway while a few of us went to a nearby pub to find ourselves queuing at the bar with her family. Awkward.

Imagine being were sent to prison for a crime you didn't commit because someone was hungry. Terrifyingly stupid.