Jury Service

[EstoyRobandoSuCasa]

Following recent threads about particular trials, I have a few questions about people's experiences of Jury Service, but don't want to derail those threads.

What did the deliberating room look like? I've always pictured a fancy wood-panelled room with a royal crest on the wall, but I suspect I'm wrong!

Are you each given a juror number and asked to sit in numerical order on the benches, or can you sit where you like? Do you whisper to each other occasionally or are you completely silent?

Were any of your fellow jurors dismissed or discharged (not sure which term is correct)? If so, what happened? Did the judge explain their absence?

I don't know if you're allowed to talk about what happened in the deliberation room in general terms or if you mustn't say anything at all. But if you can say anything, I'd be interested to know if your fellow jurors seemed motivated and capable, or if there were any who didn't appear to understand the case, or who only cared about getting home ASAP?

The whole case fell apart shortly after. The witness contradicted her original statement to the police in major facts not minor details, the one witness told a different story, provable facts like police attending were found to be false.

So after the defence spoke for a bit the judge sent us all into the jury room where we hung about for a bit and then the clerk came in saying we were to go home and be back for 11am the following day not 9.30, when we arrived back in court the Crown withdrew the case because of the previous day's evidence. After that we were discharged. Many people agreed that we would have had to find him not guilty or not proven (Scotland) because whatever our personal feelings on the case, there was no evidence.

So the fact we knew he was already in prison for an unrelated matter made that a less bad scenario. I googled him when the case was finished and he had quite a substantial record.

The whole experience was just really sad. Two very young people from chaotic backgrounds, no family support - there was nobody at all in the public gallery throughout the trial, social services involvement with both the adults in the case, drugs, mental health issues. Just a total shitshow.

oh my god ok

crazy isn't it

so it would have to start all again with a new jury

how odd??

why

did the witness make some mistake or have trouble recalling some facts?

how bizarre !!!!