What is it like to do jury service?

[GOODCAT]

I have just been summoned for jury service. If you have done it, how did you find it? How long were the days? How long did you do overall?

It was quite a few years ago. They were long days and I think mine lasted three or four days. It was an eye opener and people were more anxious to get away than discuss the case.

Absolutely awful.
You spend hours sitting around waiting for them to choose you for a trial only for you to get chosen, sworn in then the trial is dismissed because of a technicality then more sitting around. Most boring few weeks of my life. The jury area is rubbish as well, no drinks facility, horrible environment.
Awful experience.

2 weeks. Some days was sent home, other days sat around and some days heard a case. It was boring as the cases were mostly petty crime but Crown Court as person had long record which we found out about once verdict was reached.
Take something to read!

I was summoned. Sat around a waiting room for ages. We then got filed into the court room where they chose the jury. I wasn't chosen, those that weren't were dismissed. I think I was asked to call the next day but I wasn't needed so that was that!

It was boring in the main with lots of waiting around. But I did 2 cases as a juror and that was interesting. Although quite sad tbh. Your decision can impact someone’s life hugely and that really stayed with me.

I did it for 2 weeks. 2 cases. Second case was an absolutely horrific false imprisonment and rape case. At the start of the JS I loved it looking at the inner workings of the court/ushers etc. After the harrowing case I was really upset and couldn't stop thinking about it for months.

Found it quite traumatic even though mine wasn’t the most serious case.

Days were 10-4 usually. This was years ago though.

I've got it coming up soon. Not looking forward to it!

I'm quite scared about getting a murder or something (Crown Court) as I'm so sensitive.

Mine lastest nearly a month, did 2 petty cases and had some days where I was sent home around lunch. I quite enjoyed that, met a group of nice people, found the whole court process interesting! Then I got put on a bigger case with some grim evidence, that wasn't a pleasant experience to be honest!

You do sit around a lot, waiting to get picked. Take a book. I was picked for the jury and was there for three weeks (the days aren’t long, you don’t stay late - or we didn’t). It was interesting to witness the courts in action, but the case was distressing and I don’t want to repeat the experience.

I found it quite interesting. The case I was on was quite upsetting.

Found it really interesting and engaging until the very end. Having to say that someone was guilty has stayed with me for life. He will have been sentenced to prison.

There was a fair bit of waiting around. I took a notebook and did some writing, sent cards, read.

Boring 😭😭😭

I've done it twice - bring a book and some earphones

But you do get let out at 4 x

Quite boring, a lot of waiting around. I was chosen for three different jury groups but unbelievably every single one of the cases (five in total) was what is known as ‘cracked’ (not proceeding for some reason or another) before we even got in to the court room. My group were eventually let go early as most of us couldn’t commit to additional time off work after the initial two weeks and upcoming trials looked like they’d overrun that.
However, unlike PPs our jurors area was enormous, well equipped, comfortable and had a fabulous canteen where you could order pretty much whatever you wanted in advance and they’d make it for you for lunch. Also a really friendly group and we all had good chats. Do take a good book though!

I got called up immediately and had a great bunch of people as co- jurors. The case was a rape case and lasted 7 days so we were all dismissed after that. The court wasn’t far from good shops and cafes. It was a really interesting experience.

I did it a long time ago. It was interesting to a point however the trial because very repetitive as there were numerous accounts given by different police officers that were virtually identical. The repetition seemed excessive.

The biggest shock to me was the general standard of my fellow jurors. I was 19 at the time and when we retired to the jurors room we were told to select a foreman. The other 11 people who were all at least 20 years older than me just looked at the floor and then started giving excuses why they couldn’t possibly carry out the role. In the end I said I’d do it. I had to facilitate every single part of the discussion and explain a number of factual points from the case that they somehow had missed. I’d have got more sense out of 11 toddlers. I still wonder to this day what would have happened had I being selected for a different jury panel and a 12th toddler like adult added to the one I was on. It gave me no confidence in justice to think that a group of people like that were making decisions about a persons freedom.

I’d quite like to be asked again to see if things have improved but it’s not happened so far.

Not nearly as exciting as I thought it was going to be (based on seeing it on TV or reading about it in the news)

Got picked as jury for first case (attempted murder). Was glad I was not picked for second case (I heard it being read out - a father had been raping his daughters and I think that would have been quite traumatic to listen to. Lots of 'and so on x date you did so insert your penis into the vagina of xname who was 8 at the time')

Mostly it was long and boring. I mean I was allocated to the case quite quickly so it all started quite promptly. Just listening to various people talking and giving their accounts etc, watching lots of grainy cctv evidence which quite frankly I couldn't make out what was going on. One barrister (is that the right word, it was high court in Edinburgh) was very professional and looked expensive. The other looked alot 'cheaper' so maybe has was a legal aid of something. They did wear their wigs though.

Spend lots of time in a small room with rest of jury who all seemed overly opinionated and determined to be heard. Lots of arguing. I just wanted it to be over so I could get back to my own life. Not very politically correct but the 'victim' who someone had attempted to murder with a machete was a bit of a low life himself (like minor crook, drug user) so I couldn't really muster up that much sympathy for him if I am honest.

The best witness was the policeman. I think another witness didn't show up (probably didn't want to be next on the machete chopping block).

I did start to worry during the trial if the murderer would get his 'mates' to come after the jurors and I did start to feel quite anxious. Obviously been watching way too many films. Nobody offered me a million quid to vote in a particular way or try and swing the jury.

You get lunch and I think a small fee for each day. Lost my paid wage though so hacked off at that.

Glad I did it for the experience but no rush to do it again.

I moved house and the next place called me up for jury service in 2021 (I only did it in 2018). I wrote to them and got excused for 5 years from 2021.

Guess I'll be back in the bag from next year so hoping my name does not get picked again.

I went with a good book expecting to be sat waiting around. Got called straight away. Case lasted 2 weeks and was about people trafficking. We found the defendant guilty and he got 8 years.