Jury Duty advice

[1AngelicFruitCake]

I'm due to start jury duty next week and am desperate to be chosen! My friend did it 6 months ago and said after 2 days of sitting she was selected for a jury, then not in the final 12, not asked to come in day 3 then not chosen again. If you get told not to come one day early on does that mean it's likely it's not going to happen? I'm trying to manage my expectations!

I think it's all random. I remember getting a couple of short cases, some days sent home mid morning, then told to ring the next day. Eventually got on a 3 week trial at the end of my week 2! - didn't go down well at work but hey ho!

yeah once you’re told to go home you usually don’t need to come back.
I went in on day one, nothing. Day two I was picked for a jury but not the final one. Day three and four I just sat there. Day five they sent me home early and told me not to come back.
Make sure you take plenty of books with you and snacks. I took my laptop expecting to work, but there were very few plugs so I couldn’t always work once my battery went. Also layers - the room went from boiling to freezing really randomly, it wasn’t well maintained at all.

Thanks both.
But why don't you get picked again? Why once you've been sent home would they not use you? I'm hoping someone will come and say they weren't picked one day then they were!

Totally depends on the schedule of cases.
I've been three times and first time got nailed on the first day to a long case that lasted my whole term.
Second time they knew in advance that there were three cases starting monday, one wednesday, and none the week after - so anyone not picked Monday morning could skip off then come for the Wednesday pick; then everyone still not selected would have done their duty and been discharged.
Third time I let them know I had a medical appointment the week after my duty, and chatted about being in twice before in the last five years, so she said "I'll see if I can just let you go". Didn't get picked that day, got an email in the evening saying "thanks bye!". Which I was fairly pleased about, but would have enjoyed doing some more tbh.

Oh yes this definitely happens - I was on the Wednesday case.

Indeed, on my first time, although I had a 3 week case (!) I would chat to other folks at lunchtime, and one lad had been on three 1-2 day cases during his two weeks jury duty. With lots of sitting around waiting.

Thanks this is really interesting to read. I think my friends theory is that once you don't get used for a day that's it they won't use you and she said 'bet that happens to you!' now I can't stop wondering! A shame some people don't even want to do it and others do.

It's completely random and will depend on what trials are going on. I didn't get picked the first two days then was called into a trial that lasted the rest of the two weeks. Other people in at the same time did 2 or 3 short cases in that time. Word of warning though, it was interesting from a legal procedure point of view but I found it emotionally draining and ultimately pretty upsetting. Honestly I'd rather not have been picked so if it doesn't happen it isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Point taken I can imagine it must be really draining. I think I'm concerned about not being in at all one day and whether that means you get chosen again. She met someone on the first day who moaned about doing it then got a trial!

They told me they had enough jurors coming in the week after that there wasn’t space for me so since I wasn’t on a trial I wasn’t needed.
I think you’re less attractive in week two because they’re not really meant to put you on anything that would run over your two weeks

That makes sense! I'm looking forward to starting it now! I'll have to come back and say whether I got a trial! Please have your fingers crossed for me!

The amount of compensation jurors get for their time increases incrementally after the first two weeks, for which you receive the minimum amount (assuming your employer - if you have one - doesn't continue paying your salary).

This means that unless they have some very short trials lined up, they're less likely to call you once the second week is underway.

On my most recent service I was called (but not selected) on day one, then selected on day two for a four day trial ending on the Friday.

On week two I was selected on the Monday. The trail was halted on medical grounds at the end of the second day, at which point everyone was discharged as the upcoming trials would have taken us over the two weeks threshold.

My employer didn't pay my salary, so jury duty cost me a fortune in lost wages and I was absolutely looking to get it over and done with as quickly as possible.

A number of people on my jury were in the same boat...makes you wonder how 'fair' a trial some people get when half the jurors just want to get out of there.

OP, why are you so desperate to get called?

I did jury service for the first time earlier this year, and also posted a thread for advice. It was very mixed, and most of it absolutely nothing like my own experience.
It seems to depend entirely on the court.
My own experience was I was called in for a case on the first day in the initial 18, then once in the court room I wasn’t selected for the final 12.
Later that same day I was called in as part of the initial 18 again, and this time I was the first juror selected.
That first case (horrific one) lasted 5 days, right up until 5:15 on the Friday evening.
Came back on the Monday and first thing that morning I was selected for another trial in the final 12. I had absolutely no free time to sit in the waiting room at all, that second case lasted 7 days so my time overran by two days in the end.
But I also know people who just had to phone each morning to find out if they were needed (different courts)
The court I was at was clearly a very busy court.

More interesting comments thank you.

To answer a question I want to do it because I'm interested and me attending has meant quite complex childcare arrangements in place that have taken weeks to organise. It'll be frustrating if that goes to waste!

Have done it twice.
1st , got a case 1st day lasted just under 3 days, then rang in a couple of times and told not to come in any more
2nd , Nothing first two days, then got put on a murder trial which lasted 4 weeks, even on that there were half or full days off for one reason or other