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Original poster

NOT FUCKING NOW JURY SERVICE FFS

113 replies

RozHuntleysLeftHand · 31/03/2022 21:01

Me and ex and have split up.
I'm literally so stressed about money I'm throwing up.
I'm about a week from being evicted and......

A Jury Summons shows up this afternoon.

I know they're not psychic, and in many other periods of my life I would have done it with pride? Not sure if that's the right word but I am a strong believer in justice.

But bloody hell the timing!!

OP posts:
ididntevennotice · 31/03/2022 23:32

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

I would expect someone self employed to have adequate provision (savings etc) to be able to temporarily cover annual leave, sickness etc both of which would be unpaid.

Have you been living in a cave for the past 2 years?

user3837313202 · 31/03/2022 23:43

I know one person who asked to defer jury service on account of needing to care for his aged mother, and was never called again.

Only one problem... he lived 200 miles away from his aged mother, visited once or twice a year at most and left the practical care to a sibling...!

worriedaboutmoney2022 · 31/03/2022 23:45

I deferred when I was breastfeeding my daughter was 3 months old she is now 7! Never called again
But I would ask to be excused you sound like you have a lot on your plate at the moment

user3837313202 · 31/03/2022 23:51

I would expect someone self employed to have adequate provision (savings etc) to be able to temporarily cover annual leave, sickness etc both of which would be unpaid.

In this instance you would receive per week the same as someone on a £16k annual salary which is more beneficial to you than the unpaid leave you would choose to take for a holiday or need to take for sickness.

Tell me you've never been self employed without telling me you've never been self employed...

The last two years utterly decimated my industry and my savings went with it. I was banned from working and then found I wasn't eligible for SEISS or furlough despite having paid every penny in taxes that I owed.

Holidays - unlike jury service - are scheduled for my quietest months, and the reality is that I'll still be checking emails and answering calls while I'm away. I rarely switch off.

As for sickness - if I'm well enough to stand up I'm well enough to work. I couldn't even afford to self isolate with covid FFS.

I swear some people live in cloud cuckoo land, where self employed people are all making large sums of money. Meanwhile, back in the real world...

user3837313202 · 31/03/2022 23:53

@Dontfuckingsaycheese

Why don’t they offer it to people who want to do it? I would love to be on a jury!! It could still be random - just random selection from a bank of willing volunteers!!
Unfortunately that would attract the wrong people - in particular the "hang em and flog em" brigade, those who think anyone brought in front of a court is almost certainly guilty, and those who are just a bit too keen to go on a power trip.
TangledNemo · 31/03/2022 23:55

I got called when I was at university. I went because I was studying law and didn’t think I’d be able to do it if I trained to be a lawyer. I sat in the court for about 4 hours before we were all told we could leave as the case was being delayed. They hadn’t even got around to selecting the jurors by that point. I’ve never been called since and that was over 10 years ago.

GrandTheftWalrus · 31/03/2022 23:58

I was called for the 3rd time in March 2017. Went to court and they asked if anyone needed to be excused. I had a 4 month old baby so got excused. Called again about 6 months later, then i wasn't needed. I was then called again about a year later, again wasn't needed. Then last year.

So in last 5 years been called 4 times. And 3 times before then. So 7 times total. As far as I know up until 2018 my ex husband had never been called.

My now dh has been called twice in the 7 years he's lived here. Its strange how they do it. I've had to go to actual court twice for it.

KimikosNightmare · 01/04/2022 00:01

@MuchasSmoochas

I am so grateful I am exempt as I practiced law. If you are self employed you are bucked, someone I knew got called onto a 3 month fraud case.

Usually the clerks are nice OP, just phone them, lay it on thick.

Same here. I greatly admire all of you doing your civic duty but I'm very glad I'm ineligible. I think England relaxed the prohibition on anyone connected being ineligible but Scotland and Northern Ireland retained it. Scotland's and N. Ireland's eligible but excusable as of right list is more wide ranging too.
WinetimeBeckons · 01/04/2022 00:18

@MuchasSmoochas

I am so grateful I am exempt as I practiced law. If you are self employed you are bucked, someone I knew got called onto a 3 month fraud case.

Usually the clerks are nice OP, just phone them, lay it on thick.

I had legal insurance as a self employed person. As part of this I got my time paid
VanGoghsDog · 01/04/2022 00:22

I've been called three times and every single time clashed with exams and I was deferred, until the next exam somehow. Having not been able to do it those three times, which is over ten years ago, I've not been called since and I'd love to do it!

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 01/04/2022 00:24

@FarCrowds

Swearing on threads stresses some of us out. Maybe think (about other people) before you shout and swear OP at us. Completely unnecessary.
The OP isn't swearing at you. You don't swear if you don't want to but don't dictate what others can and can't do. It's completely withing MN guidelines.
MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 01/04/2022 00:25

OP I deferred then again and then they removed me from the register. Good luck 🤞

MuggleMadness · 01/04/2022 00:26

@RozHuntleysLeftHand

Can i defer??
Yes & in your situation I think you should! Just write in, ask nicely, explain if you can/want to.

Anything we can do re the eviction?? You know to sit tight for as long as possible right, get made homeless & you'll get more help!

Brainwave89 · 01/04/2022 00:39

Would not necessarily recommend it, but I had a friend who wrote in to say she was psychic. Therefore whilst she could try the case, she would of course know if they were guilty…. They excluded her.

AlwaysLatte · 01/04/2022 00:43

I deferred when I was breastfeeding, you can for other reasons too. Sorry you're having such a rough time.

TaysideTeuchter · 01/04/2022 00:45

I live in Scotland and did jury service about 7 years ago. The court official was very helpful, and there were quite a few people who had been summoned who couldn't do it - one was a farmer who had to artificially inseminate some cows that week! Grin

My jury service only lasted 3 days before the case collapsed. I haven't been asked back since (yet.)

Jenasaurus · 01/04/2022 00:53

My son was meant to be on Jury service this week and had accepted attending and then advised his boss. His Line Manager then said he couldnt attend as they would be short staffed due to annual leave and wrote asking them to defer it to October, which the court agreed too. If they will defer for a staffing shortage I am sure they will for your situation too. I hope life gets better for you soon x

Jenasaurus · 01/04/2022 01:01

@WeAreTheHeroes

When was it that your husband did jury service *@Goldenbunny*? You can refuse if you've served on a jury in the previous two years.

A lot of employers ensure you get your normal salary as it's public service.

For those who are enthusiastic about doing jury service - you could very well get a really distressing case. I got what I had thought would be my worst nightmare. It was harrowing and very disturbing and the deliberations were difficult.

OP - ring them and ask to defer. They were great on the phone and happy I would do it tbh although I did ask to defer.

I agree about this. When my DS was studying law she had to sit in on cases, the first one she shouldnt have been allowed into as it was a juvenile court (but oddly the person on trial was the same lad who had been sitting on her garden wall the day before and being abusive to her and her DDs) - The second case she attended was this one, and she said the whole court room was in tears for the victim and the defendant The judge summed it up that there were no winners in this case and the victims family were supportive of her killer (their son in law) - some cases will be hard to see

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-93488/Teacher-bludgeoned-wife-death-affair.html

Jenasaurus · 01/04/2022 01:02

sorry DSIS not DS

wombat1a · 01/04/2022 04:24

I think its time we had a 'semi-pro' jury system. People who are paid to listen to court cases, on a rotation so sometimes they are on 3-4 days cases and sometimes ones that last for months.

People with training to understand some of the things being described to them, with follow up support after seeing images of accidents and violence etc etc.

Grumpasaurusrex · 01/04/2022 05:56

Write them a letter and cite mental health as a reason you can't do it. They can't force you if you explain you're suffering from extreme anxiety and/or depression (if you are) and will not be able to focus on the case.

carefullycourageous · 01/04/2022 06:09

@Brainwave89

Would not necessarily recommend it, but I had a friend who wrote in to say she was psychic. Therefore whilst she could try the case, she would of course know if they were guilty…. They excluded her.
Yes I have often wondered about this sort of thing, people who think there is no smoke without fire etc.
FloralsForSpring · 01/04/2022 06:13

Mine was one of the most harrowing things I have ever had to do. I would defer and cite your mental health.

WinetimeBeckons · 01/04/2022 06:28

@Babyroobs

If you have young kids you can also use that to excuse yourself/ defer. I did when my kids were young. Never got called up again !
Apparently this doesn't work any more
MinnieMountain · 01/04/2022 07:00

Not any more @MuchasSmoochas. I’ve been called up twice since I qualified (got let off the second time as I was bf my small baby).

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