Jury

[AutumnalRose]

Hello. I've had my summons to do jury duty in the next few months - I'm so excited!
As any of you done it, and how did you find it?

It's fascinating. People moan about it but it is a duty in a functioning society and I found it so interesting.

I found it deadly dull or very depressing! I certainly wasn’t excited to listen to victims’ statements of how they’d been affected by the crime. Domestic abuse case.

Awesome. Honestly, I was buzzing when I got the letter. It's something that was on my bucket list, so to be ble to do it is amazing.
I can't wait to see what it's like in a court room etc.

Yeah, I mean, in not excited about that. I've been a victim of DA and had an abusive childhood. But if it means I can play a part in ensuring victims get their justice, I'm all for that.

I’ve been called once but couldn’t do it due to disability, but dh has done it once, I’d recommend taking a kindle or similar based on his experience, a lot of time just waiting around.

Ahh ok. Yes, I've been advised of that, but thank you. I'll definitely have a book ready and maybe a puzzle book

I've never done it but would like to!
DH was called last year and was actually excited about it but he turned up the first day and got sent home because they had enough people! He was so disappointed 😂

Buzzing? I did an ABH trial where a young man had assaulted and kicked women in the head and a lot of the jury felt a bit sorry for him as he was now working with disabled children. Evidence was really clear but only persuaded to go for guilty because he probably wouldn't go to prison. At sentencing, he had similar previous convictions and got 5 years. It completely disillusioned me about the justice system and some people's critical thinking ability. Some of my fellow jurors seemed to not be able to understand the law or the evidence.

There was lot of sitting around.

Ahh no way. I bet he was!

I did it about 10 years ago.
Very interesting case that lasted a week.
Not everyone gets one it's a bit of a lottery but I was lucky.

Yep, I am! It's something I've always wanted to do. Unfortunately, there are harrowing crimes; I've been through some awful things myself.
I'm someone that looks at things objectively, but unfortunately not all do. And it's unfortunate you had folk like that on the jury.
You also find abusers/thugs work in positions of trust, and I'm not easily fooled by that.

Should have said it was an historical child sex abuse case. Harrowing but it was important that we came to the right verdict which I believe we did.

I'm hoping for an interesting one. But either way, I'm intrigued.

And that's what it's about isn't it. People can think on morbid by being excited about my summons, but having been through some awful things myself, I know the importance of victims getting justice.

I've heard there is. So I'll have a book at the ready.

I did it about five years ago. I ended up on a 2 month long fraud trial. Lots of sitting around waiting in the first few days as others have said, and I think we did have a week off in the middle of the trial for some reason.

It was really interesting but wouldn't want to do it again for that long. Fortunately my employer paid me during the 2 months, I would have been in dire straits if they hadn't.

I know the importance of victims getting justice

You shouldn't really go into a trial with this mind frame.

Thank you for the advice. Obviously, I'm not saying all people on trial are guilty. I'm very objective in situations like that.

I was called for jury duty at the High Court (in Scotland) on four or five separate occasions, but was excused because of medicaI reasons - I finally got a permanent exemption. One of the times I received a supplementary notification after I received the initial letter, stating that I needed to make myself available for at least six weeks. I sometimes wonder what that particular case was about. It’s just as well I was excused as I would have been a terrible juror as I’m very indecisive.

I'm on one now

The case is awful , quite upsetting but not as awful as the process , the sitting around , the 2 hr lunch breaks , the pomp and procedure where it feels that we must comply with all of the rules but there is absolutely no consideration for our time , our patience and our need

I hope to never do it again

Oh wow! That is a long time. Ahh that's good you got paid. I'm certain my employer will pay me, but I'm waiting to hear from my manager.

It left me completely disillusioned with the legal system. I no longer believe that a random assemblage of people has the intelligence or education to be trusted with such important decisions for another person.

It wasn’t the final verdict of the trial that was problematic. It was the quality of the discussion and the adherence to the rules.

Ah ok. Aww bless you. Yeah I do wonder about people who are indecisive, if they are swayed easily by other people's opinions and not able to look at the evidence and make their own mind up.

Oh, this is interesting feedback. And it helps my understanding of the process.