Do you know anyone who has done jury duty?

[Soubriquet]

America seems to portray that most people have had at least one summons to do jury duty.

I haven’t known anyone to do it. Is it as common as it appears to be?

I've done it for a week, I absolutely loved it but then again, none of the cases I heard were traumatic. Might not be so interesting then.

Myself and my partner have both been summoned.

I remember a teacher at school being off for 2 weeks as they’d been to do it, also a girl at work. That’s it though.

I've been summoned twice in 20 years, selected once.

I did it. Sat around in a waiting room all day for 2 weeks. Didn't see a single case.

Very interesting. Do most people only do it once?

Can you opt out if you know it’s going to be a very disturbing case such as the recent Star and Arthur?

Yes, I was summoned last year. Didn’t have to do it as face to face trials were still suspended at the time.

My FiL did it and served on the jury for a murder trial. I know several other people who have done it.

My husband and I have both done jury service twice so far.

I did it once about 20 years ago. DH never been summoned.

DH and I both have. Most cases seemed pretty run of the mill, petty theft etc

I had one mad fellow juror who insisted one of the witnesses was the brains behind the thefts and we should insist he was arrested!

You can’t opt out of a disturbing case but, after particularly disturbing cases, you sometimes see that the judge has said they will exempt the jury from any future jury service

Yes my sister and I have both done it - I had about 7 days. DH was called 3 days running but not required.
But my friends in Texas do seem to get called frequently.

I found it really interesting but not in any hurry to do it again.

How do they select people? Is it a computer program?

DP's done it.
I got called to do it in April 2020 so it didn't go ahead because of covid lockdown.

A couple of my colleagues have done jury service several times each, like 5 and 6 times each and mil has done it twice. I’d love to do it but never been summoned.

Did it earlier in the year. They set up remote jury centres and streamed it so was not actually in the court. Was interesting to do.

I did it last year, long and distressing case. We were exempted for 7 years.

Dh did it many moons ago. Really didn’t want to do it, but then really enjoyed it and found it fascinating.

I also have a friend who’s a magistrate. I was amazed the number of cases they see - a lot more than you realise.

I did it about four years ago. Sat on one three-day case. Got selected for another case at the start of the second week, but didn't make the final cut of 12. Finished two good books.

Yes, several people. I never have though.

A colleague got called a couple of years back. He ended up on a very complex fraud case at the Old Bailey that lasted nearly 6 months!!! Most people thought he had left the company, and he said it was the most boring few months of his life!

I have done it once - child abuse case, very nasty. DP has been summonsed twice, served once - drugs case and was discharged the second time.

I've done it once. It was a bit surreal as a lot of the evidence was given by video link from another country. It felt like we were watching a tv drama and had to keep reminding myself it was real. We found the defendant guilty and he cried when the verdict was announced. He had a pregnant wife. He totally deserved to go to prison but it was horrible hearing him cry and his poor wife

I wonder why some people are called multiple times and others never