Guest ordep Posted March 22, 2003 Report Share Posted March 22, 2003 ...to do jury service, that is. :o First time for me, any one had any experience of it, what can i expect.Cant say as I'm looking forward to it much. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tinribs Posted March 22, 2003 Report Share Posted March 22, 2003 I was called for Jury service some years ago when I was 20, it wasnt a pleasant case to be on, but the experience was different, although you get the time off work and expenses paid etc it was still something I could of done without, but at least once you've done it I dont think they can call you for it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted March 22, 2003 Report Share Posted March 22, 2003 Sixty seven in April and never yet been called up for it. I know several people who have and most of them found it extremely boring. The really nice juicy cases appear to be few and far between. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted March 22, 2003 Report Share Posted March 22, 2003 PSTinribs, unfortunately you CAN be called up again. I know people who have been. If you have attended a long and traumatic case, the judge has the discression to excuse you for life if he so chooses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tinribs Posted March 22, 2003 Report Share Posted March 22, 2003 I'll just have to start some weird religion then, or sign in at a mental institution :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ordep Posted March 22, 2003 Report Share Posted March 22, 2003 Yup thats right andsome.I know some one who has been 3 times, once at the Old Baily on a murder trial.I'm only going locally (Isleworth) thank goodness Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted March 22, 2003 Report Share Posted March 22, 2003 If you happen to strike lucky and get a really juicy case, how about e-mailing the details? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bvw Posted March 22, 2003 Report Share Posted March 22, 2003 Take a good book ordep as it can be extremely boring :( Done jury service twice and it entails a lot of hanging about and you end up being not required most days. If you do get onto the jury don't fall asleep, they don't like that!On both my stints I ended up as the foreman of the jury and a few months later a man we convicted as guilty happened to be stood next to me in the local pub, thank goodness he did not recognise me :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ordep Posted March 22, 2003 Report Share Posted March 22, 2003 Yup, no probs andsomeI have seen some real life sean of crime photos of a murder victim when i was working at Hendon (police training college).Was of a woman lying across a bed with her throat cut, operantly here husband came home unexpectedly and court here "at it".Made me feel quit queasy i can tell you.You've still got 3 years andsome, then your be extinct, :o sorry i mean exempt. :P (I'm not far behind you by the way :( ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ordep Posted March 22, 2003 Report Share Posted March 22, 2003 Thanks for the tip bvw, sounds like its going to be a long few days/?Bet you left the pub a bit smart'ish.. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tankus Posted March 22, 2003 Report Share Posted March 22, 2003 I managed to get out of it for 2 years ...due to pressure at work .....Third time that it came up ,they were adamant that I had to go.........The first couple of days I spent in and out of the café after not being selected ,because I did not fit the profile ( I think there were racial connotations in the jury choices)I live and work in London's east end, by some strange quirk,4 of us on the final selection all worked in retail in the Hackney/Dalston area of london......Still see one of them for a beer after work on occasion......The case I ended up on was on a step-dad caught by the mother having oral sex with her 12 year old daughter........I have to admit that the judge did impress me.....................(spent most of the time being appalled)10/2 .......majority insufficient evidence to find him guilty...so he walked.........!2 weeks later I bumped into the family ,all still together, having to speak to me as they had a problem with their previous purchase..............(bought before the trail)I just pretended that I did not know who they were, but we both knew ....!Frankly a very unpleasant experience all round...Take a good couple of paperbacks ....as the jury café,where you will spend most of your time if you are not selected ,will drive you nuts with boredem....Sort of reminded me of my old student uni café from my student days ( it was all a bit of a blur guv !) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Damo Posted March 22, 2003 Report Share Posted March 22, 2003 Ive always wondered what the criteria is for being called up.....do u have to be of a certain age? profession? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tankus Posted March 22, 2003 Report Share Posted March 22, 2003 18 to 60 on the voters register with no criminal record , I think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ellas Posted March 22, 2003 Report Share Posted March 22, 2003 yep been on one and like bvw in bristol says a lot of hanging around,got stuck on a very complex case for a couple of months which none of the jury understood but the judge points you in the right direction for a verdict. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter e Posted March 22, 2003 Report Share Posted March 22, 2003 I've never been called for jury duty. Until now, I thought it would be quite an interesting experience, but the general concensus of those who have experienced it is that it's boring. Still, I suppose that as responsible citizens it is our civil duty even when it is boring and causes us some hassle.Tankus, do you think I've never been called for jury duty because I have a criminal record - it's an old LP by Des O'Connor (first said by Eric Morecambe).Good luck with it, ordep! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ordep Posted March 22, 2003 Report Share Posted March 22, 2003 You need to be on the voters list as your randomly selected from it.You need to be between 18+. Doesn't say what the upper age limit is but you can ask to be excused if your over 65.Thanks for your thouhts, good wishes and advice chaps.I'll keep you posted on events. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent Smith Posted March 22, 2003 Report Share Posted March 22, 2003 Good evening ordep, just as a footnote, I have done jury service 3 times. Once at the Old Bailey and twice at Croydon. As long as you get called onto a case fairly quickly, it's not too bad, and if you get a decent case, you almost don't want it to finish. I was lucky, and at the OB I got an armed robbery and quite an amusing (you needed to be there) rape case.However, as pointed out by others, it can be incredibly boring if you have to spend 2 or 3 days waiting for a case to be called, especially as you cannot leave the building. So take a good book or an inflatable pillow!!2 quick tales for you. The first involved a lady juror, on my first case. She went shopping at lunch to buy some school shoes for her young daughter. However she was 5 minutes late back, which rather upset the judge, who proceeded to fine her £200.00 for I believe contempt of court. The irony of this was, that this was day 3 of the case, and on the first 2 days, and indeed the following and final day, the judge himself had returned from the lunch break over half an hour late himself :( So be warned, don't upset the judges too much!!The second story was from my third jury service. I was called to court to be sworn in along with 14 other jurors (the court calls an extra 3 jurors per defendant, to allow for any challenges as to their suitability). Upon arriving in the court I decided to tell the usher that I would need to be excused from this case. The judge asked me to stand up and give my reasons for this, so, I replied "Because your Honor, I was on a jury at this court a couple of years ago, who found this defendant guilty of 6 assaults and several robberies!" At which point they had to dismiss all 15 jurors and go and find some new ones who hadn't heard my statement :lol: Needless to say, they weren't very happy with me. Oh well B) All I can say, is that sooner or later, once called you will have to do it, so just go and enjoy it. Regards, Mr. Mouse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter e Posted March 23, 2003 Report Share Posted March 23, 2003 :D :D :D £200, eh! That's £40 for every minute. Still, that's about what these legal people earn per minute. Perhaps the judge thought everyone earns the same and fined her five minutes salary. :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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