Jury service questions?

[WhimsicalGubbins76]

I’ve already scoured this site for an answer as well as google, but all I can find is what actually happens WHEN you’re a juror. I’m looking to find out what happens from the point of receiving the summons.
I received mine today (quite nervousexcited if I’m honest, I’ve always wanted the chance to be on a jury)
But what actually happens from the point I submit my response? Is there another selection process out of all the responses they receive back? And what happens on the first day? Are you definitely a juror or is there still a chance you might be going home without sitting on the jury?
Also, if the case is about something you’ve also previously been the victim of, are you then prevented from being a juror because you’d be deemed biased?
Sorry! I know it’s a lot of questions but I can’t seem to find any answers online about these specific things.

Yes there’s a chance you won’t be on the jury.

If not selected initially then you can still be called for a trial later in the week.

Depending on the length of the trial, you may also do more than one.

There is A LOT of waiting around. Take a book.

My mum did jury service a few years ago on a child abuse case, one of the ladies asked to be excused on the basis she couldn’t be impartial. It was approved.

For me I replied to say I could attend. I can't remember if I got any more communication after that, I think possibly just a confirmation of my dates and location.

There is no guarantee you will be called. You could keep turning up for 2 weeks and never get a trial. I know there were people there on my first day who didn't get called until mid way through the second week.

I don't remember there being any questions about your suitability for the type of trial. I would assume if I'd been a victim of rape myself I could have asked to be excused from a rape trial for example if I'd thought it would be too traumatic.

Take a snack and a book. You might be called immediately for a trial or you might have to sit around. DH had to phone everyday to see if they wanted him. DD sat around for a week and was then dismissed. On the first morning they show a video about what to expect in court.

Oh really!? thats something i didn't know-so this summons isn't for one specific case? I just assumed they gather a jury for a specific court case and if you're not chosen on the day then your part is done and you go back to your normal week.
Im hoping if i get chosen then it'll be for something like burglary or assault. Nothing too traumatic.
My DS biological father was an extremely violent man, to both of us, but i'm not worried about a case like that bringing back memories (it was a long time ago, and my DH adopted my DS years ago, so he has a wonderful father) I'm more concerned that i'd be ruled by my heart rather than my head

I've done jury duty twice. Both times it was

• day 1 arrive early, long intro information session and paperwork. About 100 prospective jurors for 5 courts. When a court is ready, about 20 names were called to do more paperwork. Some people were then excluded from that trial and 12 assigned.

My first jury duty, the trial was assigned on day 1. The second on day 5. So there was 4 days hanging out in the jury waiting room - bring a book or your laptop if you are working. Other colleagues have done 2 weeks sat in the jury room with no trial assigned.

Once assigned, it was roughly 10am to 4pm in court with breaks.

Is there another selection process out of all the responses they receive back?
Potentially, but most of the time the court responds telling you the date, time and court to attend. Unless you have a reason you can't do jury service, then assume you will be going.

And what happens on the first day? Are you definitely a juror or is there still a chance you might be going home without sitting on the jury?
What happened to me on the first day, I turned up and they did an instructional tour of the court and what your role and responsibilities are as a juror.
Some people have never been in a court, so it was really useful for them

Then we were ushered into a huge room with loads of chairs, tv, pool table etc to wait.
Each day the court staff would come in the room and call out your name to say if youve been selected to be a juror on a case
So, yes, potentially there is a chance you could go every day and never be selected for a case.

As others have said, it is super boring waiting to see if you get called.to be a juror on a case. You could wait all day, not be called and go home. Take a book.

For me, I sat in the juror room all day on the 1st and 2nd day. I was then called on the 3rd day for a case.

Also, if the case is about something you’ve also previously been the victim of, are you then prevented from being a juror because you’d be deemed biased?
Yes. If you are selected for a case, you are led to the court room and sat in the jury box. The judge will give you a very quick overview of the case and ask you if there is anything which prevents you from being a juror. You have to be honest

In my case, it was a huge fraud case, with over 900 victims. We had to listen to all 900 victims names to make sure we didn't know any of them.
The judge also explained the case would involve reading lots of paperwork. A guy on my jury explained he had dyslexia and struggled to read. So was excused and replaced.

As above. It drags on a bit. I’ve been called but not selected twice and just got a third summons last week. I think my name is stuck on a list somewhere! I’m not keen to go through it again.

Are you allowed your laptop/phone once you're selected? (Obviously not in court or deliberation -but in the waiting around but while they sort stuff out?) How about things like ear buds for music?

You can go day after day after day and never be selected.
You don't go home in the morning - they are forming juries throughout the day, and throughout the week.
As everyone has said, take plenty of things to do - book, phone and charger, laptop if you want, your embroidery if that's your thing. It is a long day sitting in a room not being called, if you only have one thing to do.

When I did it there wasn't much sitting around. I was selected for the first trial on day one, then when that finished after 3 days I was selected again almost straight away.

This is all brilliant! Thanks guys! Much better insight than I was actually hoping for. Got a couple of really good books I’ve been trying to find the time to get stuck into, so worst case scenario I end up getting through them 🤣

A fraud case would be ideal! I’d genuinely find that really interesting. Knowing my luck though, name 900 would be the one I recognised

😂

It's was me with the huge fraud case.

It was really interesting, but still very sad. The victims were all over 70, and many had died.

The other thing to mention, but I'm not sure if this only applies to the court I was in, is we couldn't leave the jury waiting room, except for lunch.
I'm in a city and the court is huge, but we couldn't leave the room. And we couldn't use the public entrance. We had a special side door in and out of court building.
They explained it was to stop us bumping into victims/accused families.

But I presume this depends how big your court building is.

Yeah I attempted to reply to your message but somehow failed 🤣 couldn’t delete it and re attempt it either. That does sound incredibly sad, but immensely satisfying I would imagine, to be helping them get justice, even if it is posthumously.
I’ll be honest, I’ve always wanted to do jury service, but there is a paranoid part of me that keeps saying “what if it’s a member of an organised crime gang, and the other members find out who we are or follow us home…”
But that’s me down to a T, put me in any situation and I’ll catastrophise it in my head.

You're right, it was good the victims got justice.

The problem was, the 4 defendants didn't get very long in prison, only 2 years max.
They conned £80m.

The only consolation is all their assets were seized, homes, cars, designer clothes etc. All were sold to try and repay some of the money back.

Don't worry about any problems from family/friends or gang members of the accused.
I.promise you, if they want to "get" anyone it's the police and the lawyers.and other witnesses, not the jury
If it is a really bad case where something like that could happen, the court will.look after you.

The only thing I was worried about was making sure I didn't break any of the rules.

The judge on my case was very kind but made it very clear we were not to Google, or research anything about the case.
We could only take into account the evidence we heard in the court room.
It was an absolute no no to look, read or hear about the case from tv, newspapers etc.
I was so worried I didn't watch the news at all or read any newspaper for the entire trial in case I accidentally read something. 😅

Ah yes I’ve heard about this! That’ll be a struggle for me if I get picked. I’m a prolific googler 🤣 I’m always researching something or another.
80m 😳😳 Jesus! That is one HELL of a fraud case

Honestly, you'll be fine.

Lots of memories are coming back to me now.
The judge alao told us not to do anything stupid - well not in those words 😁

He told us of a time he was a judge in a murder trial. The jury really struggled to find the accused guilty or not guilty. So, one bright spark juror decided to bring in a ouija board and the jury heald a seance to try and communicate with the murdered women to find out from her, who killed her.

So, I think as long as you dont do anything daft like that, you'll be fine 🙂

🤣🤣🤣
I am HOWLING!! 🤣🤣

I was told when to turn up, given some instructions on what to do/ how to behave, and was then selected on the first day. But it was a really short trial (obtaining property by deception) and we were done and dusted by 11am on the second day. We were then all discharged and told we didn't need to come back again; maybe it was a quiet time in the courts. I was a bit disappointed, as I quite fancied a couple of weeks off work.

I did jury service a few years ago.

If you saw that Channel 4 programme, The Jury just recently one thing they didn't make clear is you're not allowed to talk to your fellow jurors about the case while it's going on. You're also not allowed to tell anyone else about the case until a verdict has been reached. Then you can but you can't tell anyone about what went on in the jury room. Not even the judge, barristers, defendants etc. it's just the 12 year f you. They take it very seriously.

My case involved some aspects of social media and you were not even allowed to google that; say how Instagram works if you don't know. But you can have a phone/ipad etc with you in the waiting room. I listened to things and watched things etc because there were lots of stops and starts and I couldn't concentrate on a book.

My case was quite short but there was a group of jurors who'd been on a case for 6 weeks. It must have been strange to be there together for so long but with no discussion about the case until deliberation.

Did you have access to toilets while staying in the jury room? What if you were hungry or thirsty, could you only have things you’d brought in with you?

You are advised to take a packed lunch if they reckon deliberation will happen the next day for eg. You can use a bell for attention to say you've reached your verdict or need more information (point of law or whatever) and the usher comes. There was a loo cubicle inside the room area iirc

Our deliberation only lasted about an hour

I’ve recently finished jury service. I replied to the letter online and it gave a link to a video explaining the process of jury service which was helpful.

The other thing to mention is that we were searched every morning. If you have any drinks bottles you had to take a sip of the drink in front of the guard. There are also items that you cannot take in with you (sharp objects obviously) but a few of us had makeup mirrors confiscated! These are returned at the end of the day.

There was an awful lot of waiting around!

@WhimsicalGubbins76 I did jury service back at the end of October so quite recently.

From the point I accepted I then got a confirmation pack in the post with a bit more information and foetal on where to be at what point, local parking information etc.

Day 1 I arrived at the set time, we just had a video to watch after our ID documents had been checked. You do have to go through airport style security so don't take cutlery etc. sadly our juror waiting area just had seats and a few puzzles, basic facilities- toilet kettle fridge and vending machine.

You are initally to be available for 2 weeks and they do try and let you know in advance if it's likely to be more than that (some of the jurors we met were on week 3 or 4 but had been advised of that).

At selection time, 15 names from all available (some of those were the juror is not selected the previous week) were called into court. Brief details of the case were mentioned and names of the person on trial and key witnesses announced. At that point you had to make the clerk aware if you recognised either. From the 15 they then call 12 (I thinks it's twelve- I was number 4 so stopped counting). The others go back to that waiting area and may either be sent home or told to wait around. You then get sworn in and the case is under way. You absolutely must not (and the judge will reiterate this) do any of your own research or talk to anyone else outside your jury about the case. You decision has to be made on the facts presented.

You can't have your phone on when in court or in the room you are allocated as a jury to discuss and agree a verdict. The clerk takes them away.

I had one case in the first week so was in 3 days then told I wasn't needed in the Thursday and Friday. I was messaged to say I was needed back in the Monday but in a different court (within the same county).
I think we just sat around that day before being dismissed and then had to be back next day.
That day I was again selected and sworn in for a case lasting about 3 or 4 days. Gladly one of the jury had to pull out before the case started (we were sworn in and then sent on a lunch break). They then have to formally discharge you, gather enough people to select another random jury (th ey don't just replace the person). That lost us all Tuesday and as I had advised I didn't have childcare available after the end of the week they said I was no longer needed.

Remember to get receipts to claim back parking and any travel costs (they pay a certain amount per mile for fuel) and claim for lunch even if you take your own on the days you are in. Maximum amounts you can claim should be on your documents but lunch and travel is on top.

I was really really nervous ahead of it, met a bunch of lovely people so we all got chatting while waiting around which made it better. I would do it again, even though we had a really sad case (they do offer support if you need it).

If they don't sentence while you are there you can call back and find out the outcome (if you find someone guilty)