Your Experiences Of Jury Service

[agchristie]

Wot are your experiences of being on a jury? What pressures did you feel and were u happy with the outcome?

Ive never done it and wud hate it.

[Stephen_G]

I did it about ten years ago, but the case I got was thrown out, due to lack of evidence, so there was no pressure to reach a verdict.

Unless you get a case, there's a LOT of sitting about and doing nothing, so take a few magazines or a good book and prepare for the long haul.

I doubt that Courts will be taking Juries for quite some time to come. It's not as bad as it seems.

[agchristie]

Thanx Stephen.I dont do sittin' abt either so I hope I dont get picked!

[Jackdaw33]

Interesting to note that barristers and solicitors are not eligible for jury service.

[tonyav]

I sat on two juries when I did jury service. I first case only lasted about an hour before the judge threw it out after the plaintiff was proven to be lieing ( the camera never lies ), the second case the defendant was found guilty and I was happy with the outcome. On the whole though it was pretty boring, lots of sitting around waiting to see if you are chosen or not to sit on a jury.

[agchristie]

Is that so Jack? I never knew that.If conflict of interest why?

[agchristie]

Tony,how long a stint does it last and I guess the number of cases u sit on depends on time of each case? How are jurors picked?

[Jackdaw33]

Simply because they could usurp the judge's position, indulging in legal arguments within the jury room. These could sway the layman.

[Stephen_G]

I got introduced (Not literally) to the Jeremy Kyle Show... Daytime TV still has a lot to answer for. At the time, a few people had the Nintendo DS game console and were playing the Dr. Kawashima brain training game.

The second week of mine fell on Easter weekend (The Courts don't sit from Maundy Thursday) so I had a four-day weekend off from the job I had at the time. Pretty sweet.

[Arksided]

Can you turn up biemg drunk

[tonyav]

A clerk puts ( I think ) about 20 names in a hat ( so to speak ) and picks out 12. My stint was two weeks, however if you get chosen for a murder or a fraud case then I would expect it to go on longer than two weeks.

[agchristie]

Thanx Jack

Stephen,u got a bit lucky then ;-)

[agchristie]

Tony,were u able to claim expenses?

[agchristie]

I'll throw this one out...

Would u feel added pressure if capital punishment was back?

[tonyav]

agchristieQuestion AuthorTony,were u able to claim expenses?

Yes I did claim expenses, you also get a daily allowance for lunch.

[Jackdaw33]

If it is a particularly harrowing case (I'm thinking of the Moors Murderers) then the judge can excuse them from any further service for life.

[Ellipsis]

I've done it twice.

The first time was a nasty case, took ten days and I was happy to find the guy guilty. He got 10 years after all his past offences were revealed and taken into account!

The second time was absolutely shambolic, turned up most days and did nothing, went home after a few hours each day, and was discharged after two weeks without hearing a single case.

[agchristie]

Jack,I dont kno how anyone cudve gone thru that case as a juror....

[tonyav]

Oh, and I felt no pressure to vote either guilty or not guilty.

[agchristie]

Ellipsis,both sides of the coin there!

[Stephen_G]

Two weeks is the usual length of time. They would let you know if a case would go on longer - you'd have to ask your employer for more time off to stay on.

I doubt that anyone would be welcome if they were drunk, Arksided (Someone might prove me wrong...).