Jury Service - Anyone Done It?

gramps

gramps

Messages
42,065
Name
'Gramps'
Edit My Images
No
Have you ever done Jury Service - if so how long were you tied up with it?
 
Yes, 3 weeks in January this year.
It's hard to judge the true length for others as it was a double intake after the Christmas break. Some got sent home after a day or two. Others went from case to case for 2 weeks.

I was picked first day for a murder trial and it was expected to last 3-4 weeks which was stated from the onset.
 
Yes, done it twice! First time was for 5 days, second was 2 weeks and I was Foreman. Loved every minute of it! Don't forget to claim your expenses.
 
yes, an embezzlement case. Most boring 5 days ever, listening to the prosecutor read off till roll values, compare them with till takings and banking slips.
 
would love to do it, but alas not chosen, yet
 
Did it about 19 years ago, in London.

It was interesting, but slightly frustatrating in that we did not get to hear the sentences imposed on the guilty.
 
mortimerhill said:
Did it about 19 years ago, in London.

It was interesting, but slightly frustatrating in that we did not get to hear the sentences imposed on the guilty.
Click to expand...

We were given a phone number to call and the sentences were revealed to the jury members.
 
My sister is currently doing it in Glasgow. Think they said upto 8 weeks for the case she is in.
 
I did it 3 years ago. You are bound for 2 weeks initially, if you get picked for a longer case and you have commitments for can opt out and depending on the importance the judge can drop you for the jury.

Its a good experience. My advice... Take a good book... Or two!
 
Been up for it three times. The first time it was cancelled, second time I did a job a couple of days before for a chap who turned out to be the prosecutor and so was ineligible and the third time I spend a whole day waiting to not get picked. I think you can only be called three times and then there has to be a gap of many years before your name can come up again.
 
My wife did it 3 times and my brother a couple of times. Both enjoyed it but it depends on what sort of case(s) you get to hear.

Wouldn't be any good me doing it, they are all guilty!!
 
:( weeks tied up with it is something I really don't need as a self-employed business owner - and as ex-police I don't need the novelty of seeing a court in action.
As self-employed you can't even claim expenses without an accountant's report, which you have to pay for ... in addition to any personal losses over the period you can't work, you have to pay someone else to do your job!

beyond the blue said:
I got dismissed after 2 hours, they had 3 X more people than they needed.
Click to expand...

Some hope then.
 
Last edited:
I did it in the early 80s and it was interesting but at times a bit nerve-racking when everyone in court was looking at you.
That wouldn't bother me now but I'd find taking two weeks to do it difficult if not impossible.
The compensation for getting there seemed quite generous at the time including mileage and meal allowance as well as daily payment.
 
gramps said:
:( weeks tied up with it is something I really don't need as a self-employed business owner - and as ex-police I don't need the novelty of seeing a court in action.
As self-employed you can't even claim expenses without an accountant's report, which you have to pay for ... in addition to any personal losses over the period you can't work, you have to pay someone else to do your job!



Some hope then.
Click to expand...

You stand a good chance of being dismissed if you ask. I was self employed and just got a letter from my accountant saying I would loose £300+ per day in turnover. I was actually looking forward to doing it but when they saw my letter I was the first to be dismissed.
 
The people who were picked but excused from our case were the ones who said they cared for eldelry parents/relatives. There was a list of at least 100 people and pubs if you knew and drank there also you were excused. No questions asked.

Our judge said that if your business would go to the wall if you were off for that long he would excuse you from a potential long case. He didn't say you wouldn't be sitting round for 2 weeks hoping to get sent home though.
 
You can only be excused so many times and then you have to do it I seem to remember from the blurb I got sent with the call up.

Gramps, they always call many more than they need because many will not be able or suitable.
 
Mother in law did it for over 2 weeks in a stabbing case, the defendant was found not guilty, he approached her on the bus one day after and thanked her for getting him off and intimated that he was guilty, 2 weeks later arrested for stabbing his partner in a drug fuelled attack.
 
I did many years ago, lasted three days.

The amount of time is totally dependent on the case though and there are no guarantees.
 
gramps said:
I'll have to keep saying "Eeh" whenever anyone says anything to me :D
Click to expand...

Football stylee chanting- "Guiltay...guiltay...'angins' too good fer im!"
 
gramps said:
:( weeks tied up with it is something I really don't need as a self-employed business owner - and as ex-police I don't need the novelty of seeing a court in action.
As self-employed you can't even claim expenses without an accountant's report, which you have to pay for ... in addition to any personal losses over the period you can't work, you have to pay someone else to do your job!



Some hope then.
Click to expand...

I thought serving and ex Police personnel were on the exemption list?

I got a couple of letters asking availability and holiday dates at the start of the year but not heard anything. I'm sure Police personnel were exempt. That's in Scotland mind you.
 
Lomond Lad said:
I thought serving and ex Police personnel were on the exemption list?

I got a couple of letters asking availability and holiday dates at the start of the year but not heard anything. I'm sure Police personnel were exempt. That's in Scotland mind you.
Click to expand...

I used that once, a number of years ago, and got an exemption - but in the UK the only reservation is if you've served within the last 5 years ... it's longer than that for me so strictly speaking I can't claim exemption ... deferral might be an option, serving at a less difficult time :thinking:
 
I've been picked three times. I wriggled out of it the first time as I'd just started contract work and had nobody paying my wages except me. When I did step up and do my bit I thoroughly enjoyed it. You tend to have your own "team" of jurors and in between cases you can chat and make new friends. It's all quite sociable, in my experience at least.

Typically the expectation is that you'll be there for two weeks, but it does depend on how the cases pan out. You may get a few short ones until you've done your stint. Sometimes you'll get a day or two off in between cases, or be asked to turn up and then sent home early if nothing turns up. The last time I was there a case came up which was expected to extend beyond the two weeks and people were asked whether that would be a problem or if they'd be OK to do it.

I've sat in on a drugs case, ticket fraud, a pub fight which left someone blinded in one eye, sexual abuse and petty theft. It's quite fascinating to see the justice system at work and makes a nice change from the usual 9-5.
 
gramps said:
and as ex-police I don't need the
Click to expand...

I thought ex bobbies could not do jury service,i`m obviously wrong in that............:shrug:
 
I sat in the waiting room all day for a week. Didnt get put on a single case. Bored was not the word :)
 
fracster said:
I thought ex bobbies could not do jury service,i`m obviously wrong in that............:shrug:
Click to expand...

Over 5 years 'ex' and it's not an exemption.
Not really a good idea though, there's an awful lot of local 'families' that I have knowledge of and that could easily present impartiality issues.
 
gramps said:
Over 5 years 'ex' and it's not an exemption.
Not really a good idea though, there's an awful lot of local 'families' that I have knowledge of and that could easily present impartiality issues.
Click to expand...
Didn`t know that, thanks.
 
Would you believe our jury fore person gave the wrong verdict, yup true!!!
Took 3 attempts before she got it right.
 
Paulie said:
I sat in the waiting room all day for a week. Didnt get put on a single case. Bored was not the word :)
Click to expand...

I got picked and suffered endless delays of faffing about with witnesses being late or not turning up, wrong files being brought to court etc. The stop/start routine was endless. All I wanted was to get out of the damned place.
 
I did jury service about 10 years ago. The trial was a "possession with intent to supply" ( a number of E tabs, and a load of money)
He had pleaded guilty to possession, but not guilty to "intent to supply"
We found him Not Guilty.
 
I was called for jury service and spent most of the first week waiting around to see who was selected that day before being sent home at around 2:30pm. Towards the end of the week I was selected and spent the rest of that week and most of the following on a jury.

Two weeks later I got a letter requesting me to attend jury service at a Coroner's court. From what I've heard from speaking to other people it seems to be a complete lottery as to whether you even get called up, let alone getting selected for a jury. There were quite a few people who where there over the two weeks I was there that weren't picked. I understand they have to make sure they have enough people available in case all the scheduled cases go ahead but from what I saw, a lot of cases end up being adjorned before they pick the jury which must be frustrating for those that end up spending the whole two weeks kicking their heels.
 
I did 2 or 3 weeks about 15 years ago. Was for affray and was extremely boring. I'm completely against jury service - I know when I did it back then I hardly understood a word of all the legal jargon flying back and forth and I wasnt interested in the slightest.
They should leave decisions that will affect people's lives in the hands of professionals that have understanding of the process and law.
I also had my car broken into while on jury service and lost my job! Not a great time for me.
 
gridlock said:
Ouch! Which way?

I'd love to do JS, but have never had the chance.
Click to expand...
Clerk of court - Choose number 1,2 or 3
Is the defendant
1 - guilty of murder
2- not guilty murder but guilty manslaughter
3- not guilty of either

Forewoman - not guilty
Family in crowd cheer, rest of jury go eeeeekkkk, noooooo

She should have said 2

That is the shortened version
 
I've been asked 3 times, and been excused each time - I'd actually quite like to do it but fear they may have given up on me.

1st time was excused for work reasons (we had a massive project coming up so I think we are asked for a postponement).

They did then come back and ask later, by which time I had glandular fever, and was excused once again.

I then got asked again 2 years ago (the others were back in 1998) but had already booked a holiday for the time they wanted me, and I was excused again...
 
I'm only going, if I'm asked, if it's like 12 angry men and a young Quincy turns up!
 
Not been called, but would currently be exempt for health reasons.

My mum was called twice if I remember correctly - once for a big case, where it turned out she knew the key witness, was excused (not sure why not postponed?), I think the 2nd time she was excused was as it conflicted with her due date... Could have that 2nd one wrong though.

I don't think she ever actually did it, though would've been happy to.

Don't know if anyone else in my family has ever been called.
 
Did it once and not impress with the way courts work, should I actually say "work"? The actual amout of time hearing a case after being sworn in as a juror and the challanges by the prosecution is very little. The two weeks I had to be available for and attend every day wether called or not was a complete waste of my time.
Oh and I was a juror on 3 cases and never challanged to put the record straight. one was jewelry theft from a business partners wife, another was a rape case and the third was con men extracting money under false pretences.
Realspeed
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top