To think jury service was a waste of my time

[Harriette678]

Spent the whole week last week waiting around, didn’t get picked. Then was on call, then told I didn’t need to come back.

I’m so utterly disappointed as I really wanted to serve on a jury, and overall it felt like an utter waste of my time arranging childcare for a potential two weeks that in the end was just sitting around not getting picked. I had to have it in place just in case, due to my circumstances. Just gutted really lol

anyone else have a similar experience?

Yes, me. Right in the middle of the school holidays too. I was called in for 4 days and was on a case for 3 out of those 4. Complete and utter waste of time having to get into town every day.

You enabled the proper functioning of a democratic society. Of course it wasn’t a waste of time.

I could have written exactly this. I was discharged on Friday after spending 27 minutes in a courtroom. Such a massive and frustrating waste of time and money.
I'm not sure if there is a more efficient way of doing it though.

Different circumstances; you did get picked.

It is ironic that the people who get chosen generally don’t want to do it (me) and vice versa.

There are definitely better systems than this

I’ve only been called twice & selected both times. Luckily I didn’t have childcare issues & my work paid me anyway. Ours has changed since Covid though & no longer need people to go in & wait around. You get a call if you’ve been selected & then have to go in the next day. If your not selected for that jury, you go home & have to call in at 5pm for the following day. Think it goes on about 3/4 days before your released

That happened me. I was picked in the first jury. The defendant arrived and we where sworn in then he changed his plea to guilty. We where told to go home and phone in the next week and had to come in again incase we where chosen for another trial. Alot of sitting in the courthouse waiting about and then told not needed. It was hard sorting my work and childcare.

Similar tale to tell.
Monday morning, get early train to Court hang around for ages with about 70 others, get called for Jury selection. Listen to an outline of the case, not selected for Jury, had lunch . Told the other case that day had been delayed for some reason and we can go. Had a message that night saying no need to go on Tuesday.
Wednesday go to the Court. This time only about 20 people there. At 10.30 announcement that the accused hadn’t turned up, Police couldn’t find him so go home. Then got an email to say no longer required.
There must be a better way but not sure what it is!

Happened to me OP, it was about 20 years ago now. It wasn’t terribly inconvenient, I was fully paid by work, local court and no DC at the time to worry about. I was so looking forward to it and interested to see the process. I didn’t see the inside of a court, just sat in the jury waiting room for 10 days in a row, not selected for a thing and dismissed after that. Never been called up since and it would be a lot more hassle now so I’m still a bit gutted about it.

I got picked right at the beginning of a new university year. I was in the courtroom, but still had enough time to read a lot of long classic books while sat outside waiting! It was boring and was never something that I've aspired to do. Some of my friends were very envious, as they were into crime shows on TV, and could not believe how ambivalent I was about it.

I’ll trump your missed trials with being called for a courts martial jury service in Cyprus as a civilian juror
(Certain civilians fall under military law when overseas and then a jury may be called instead of a military board)

I’m not a fan of the heat, so was a little happier that it was due in autumn, and the opportunity to visit a friend over there - he spoilt that by telling me that it would still be their summer

After some running around making all the travel arrangements with a few days to go, I was called to let me know that I was “no longer required as the jury pool was oversubscribed”

In Scotland you phone the in the evening to see if you may be needed. You don’t automatically go to court anymore but the call will say if they are selecting a jury next day and that if the Clark of the court hasn’t called you by 2pm that you should call again the next evening. Rinse and repeat till you are discharged after 1 week.
If you are called then it means your are selected for the jury and they tell you when to be in court. So only a lot less waisted time compared to how it used to be.

I would love to do jury service. Haven't ever been asked yet. DH got called, and picked to do it, but found many frustrations in it as you've described.

I did it last year, so much wasted time hanging around. There must be a better way.

A friend of mine got picked, some years ago, and got chosen. She ended up on the jury for a particularly harrowing case, which made international headlines. It took her quite a while to process the evil nature and crimes of the person on trial.
Personally I'd love to do it, but never been asked.

I was asked when the DC were 4 and under 1. I said I'd be delighted and attached a quote for a temporary nanny. I was swiftly excused. Perhaps I was excused forever because I've never heard from them again, retired and the DC are grown up. I'd be happy to help.

I feel it could be better arranged or managed to minimise disruption to people. I think if the courts had to properly cover the costs of everyone involved they'd get a lot more efficient over things like this. As it is they push huge costs off on to individual members of the public to minimise the costs to the state and I think that's pretty poor.

Totally understand your frustration but it might be a bit of a blessing in disguise, my Dad got called and ended up on a child sexual assault case and it was horrific

My sister and I were called in the same year, and mine was at the same time as a colleague.

My sister and colleague both said that is was just hours of sitting around. Sister was called for a day and a half on one case and that was it. Colleague sat around for two days and then was told he was no longer needed, so that would have been my experience too.

Luckily, I was able to get out of it as I am a carer for my parents and due to the nature of their issues, short term carers wasnt suitable. Every one I told that I was excused who has never done it, wants to do it! But everyone who has done says that they would try to get out of it if they get called again.

That's really common. I'm sorry the defendant didn't sort out their pleas and everything in time. 🧐

I was called earlier this year. Was really keen but didn’t even get on a case because defendants kept changing their pleas at the last minute. Quite disappointed.

You had a lucky escape.

Anyone saying that it was a waste of time - it’s a public service you are being asked to do - it’s not for your enjoyment. Part of the process of the service is that they always request more jurors than they need in case of illness ect. To frame a public service in your terms is missing the point and selfish

Exactly.

You can’t see it on such an individual level.

If people like you didn’t turn up for jury service there would be no juries, and the justice system as we know it wouldn’t function. People seem very attached to juries (rightly in my opinion) whenever anyone suggests changing the system, but then complain about a “waste of my time”.

A body of people including you turned up for jury service and the fact that body of people was there meant the trials could go ahead.