Jury Service

[chai18]

Luck Me!

I've just been served notice for jury service.

What was it like when you did it? Is it really the waste of time that people say it is or am I fulfilling an important role?

Thanks

I did it about fifteen years ago. You will be fulfilling an important role, but there's quite a bit of sitting around. Take some knitting (but don't do it in the jury box or you'll look a right tricoteuse).

I did it at the Old Bailey a couple of years ago.

I found it fascinating.

Mind you, I got a case the first day I was there - one that lasted four weeks.

I thought it was really interesting to see the legal process working (and it did work - he got life for murder).

Gosh, hunkermunker - I just got affray on a tube station, possession of crack and burglary. I'd expected something a little more up-market at Knightsbridge Crown Court - shoplifting from Harrod's maybe - but alas...

i did jury service in a crown court two summers ago, very interesting, thought fellow jurors were quite toughtful and wanted to discuss evidence.
had 2 very different drugs cases one dealing another smuggling.
can also be very boring with long waits, hope i don't do it again until i retire

my jury service about 6 years ago was unbelievably boring - days and days of sitting around waiting to be called. Finally got to sit on a case on about day 8. Found the whole court system worked unbelievably slowly and it all seemed like a major waste of everyone's time. The case I got was spectacularly trivial but it still took 3 days to process.

It was weird seeing it on the news - and a doc had been made about the air ambulance and it featured on it. I'd actually driven past the station it happened at that night and had seen the ambulances, little knowing I'd know in great detail what had happened later that year.

sfxmum, I too was impressed at how carefully my fellow jurors assessed the evidence.

chai18, jurors are selected by picking every nth name on the electoral register so you are likely to be with other people who live near you. Several of my fellow jurors caught the bus from Knightsbridge to Streatham together - not discussing the case of course. Halfway back one day someone noticed where we were "We have to be right, you know", she said "We're the people on the Clapham Omnibus".

One very strange thing I noticed was that certain fellow jurors only had the nerve to affirm if someone else (usually me) had done so before them. So there were a few changes of religion over the fortnight.

oh yes the affirmingi too am one of those, noticed the same, even in very mixed group with christian hindu and muslim

you may wish to read this thread there is some stuff about similar fact evidence that I think all jurors should know!

Interesting link, CountessDracula. In the possession of crack case I was a juror on, the defendant was alleging that the police had planted the drug on him. He was asked "Would you describe yourself as an honest person", and replied "About fifty-fifty". We were sent out while the lawyers argued about what to do. They decided that the defendant's previous crimes of dishonesty should be revealed to us. They included mobile phone theft. He was found guilty, and his barrister pleaded in mitigation that he had been working hard setting up his own business - selling mobile phones!

i did it about 8 years ago. it was quite interesting but the second case i got was for a coroner's court - not very nice, quite upsetting really

i think you are fulfilling an important role!

I did it about 8yrs ago, was exciting to begin with as I didn't know what to expect and then it became totally boring what with all the waiting around. In the court room itself well its like watching a drama on tv as the barristers do overact a lot!! the case i did was fascinating and lasted around 8wks (nothing horrid i should add) and it did end with a prison sentence. Our jury had some right knobs tho, one bloke was a complete pisshead and kept everyone waiting while he was in the pub (the court clerk used to go mad) another was more interested in going home, and a young university boffin tried to control everyone. I'm glad i did tho

I'd be terrified of being tried by jury, could be full of BB contestant types.

Sounds like mixed experiences. Wonder what mine will be like.

what happens if you're SAH - can you get out of it/get childcare paid for??

I did it 15 years ago and was foreman on a particularly nasty child abuse case. At the time, I actually took it really seriously, researched how the court worked and what was expected of me as a juror. To my disappointment, my fellow jurors showed a remarkable lack of interest in the proceedings and worryingly a lot of predjudice (i.e "he's got a tattoo and short hair so he kind of looks guilty doesn't he"). Thankfully, there were others who took their role seriously but overall I was left hoping I am never in the defendant's box with jurors like those.

I also think it not entirely inappropriate for jurors to take some form of IQ test. I am no Einstein but some of the jurors I met were, unfortunately, incapable of assessing simple evidence. Worrying really.

i must admit i did feel uncomfortable being made to 'judge' someone, luckily a headmistress was in the jury and spoke alot of sense so she helped us make the decision.

there were a few people with strong opinions i felt a bit daunted, i was quite young and would rather have not done it.

I'm now getting worried about one or two strong personalities forcing their view or prejudices on the rest of us.

you make your own mind up, you are all equal in the jury room! honestly it is an experience that will open your eyes, you may find yourself one of the strong personalities