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Jury Service

Posted: Fri 11 Aug, 2017 8:27 pm
by poliopete
Finished a week of Jury Service today. This is the second time I have been asked. The first many years ago when my business was in it's infancy and things were very difficult so, I was excused. :(

This time I really wanted to participate. Although, there was a lot of hanging around I found the whole thing fascinating. The ushers and judge held our (the jury) hands all through the process. I was only involved in one case throughout the week. It lasted less than two days and the rest of the time we were, as I say, hanging around.

If you are ever invited to this service I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. :D

Feel free to cross examine :?:

Regards.

Peter

Re: Jury Service

Posted: Mon 14 Aug, 2017 8:54 am
by Jamesnkr
It's such an inefficient use of time. You will probably have been in court between 10.30 and 12.30 and 2.30 and 4 - 3.5 hours per day - if you were lucky. And on less than two days. So that's about 6 hours of your time in exchange for a sacrifice of a 40 hour working week. Bonkers. Interesting as it may be, it's an insult to the juror.

Re: Jury Service

Posted: Mon 14 Aug, 2017 4:38 pm
by poliopete
James you are spot on with your analysis of the time scale. :clap:

You speak as it you have had some experience. :wink:

If one is self-employed the financial loss would be considerable. Thankfully, that did not apply to me.

As you so eloquently put it, the system is "bonkers" with no concept of "real time". :?

Saying that, I would hate to live in a country where the "accused guilt is determined only by the "state along with the punishment. :roll:

At least one more thing ticked of the bucket list. :D

Re: Jury Service

Posted: Mon 14 Aug, 2017 6:49 pm
by Tudor Rose
The only time I've been unfortunate enough to have a Court room experience was as a witness. We were there very early and by the time we had been in to give our evidence and could leave it was about 5pm. There was a 2 hour gap in the middle of the day for everyone to go out and have lunch, but still a longer day than the one Jamesnkr mentioned. Having said that, we were only given 24 hours notice each time the trial date changed and the same for the date it went ahead - which wasn't fun to organise as we were both witnesses so had to let customers know we'd have to close the doors only to find it was postponed again and then suddenly going ahead.

And giving evidence was not an experience I'd like to repeat in a hurry. Despite clear video evidence of the whole incident and a string of witnesses all corroborating each other the trial wasn't pleasant. I'd felt obliged and ready to do my civic duty and attend to give evidence of what I'd seen, but there was little help or assistance given to any of the witnesses to explain how it would work and what to expect, especially for those of us who'd never been in a Court before. I would think very carefully before going through that again.

Re: Jury Service

Posted: Tue 15 Aug, 2017 8:30 am
by Jamesnkr
Tudor Rose wrote:There was a 2 hour gap in the middle of the day for everyone to go out and have lunch, but still a longer day than the one Jamesnkr mentioned.
To be fair to the system the various lawyers will likely be there at 8.30. The two teams will discuss final points with their clients - and potentially with each other; cases often don't actually ever reach the courtroom if one side or the other has been convinced they have no case. Court time starts at 10, but may well be delayed starting on account of legal teams. Two hours for lunch is not so that the judge can have a boozy lunch, but so the various parties can discuss tactics after the morning's activity. Early finish again doesn't mean the lawyers are going home early.

It's just the poor old juror who is left hanging around.

Re: Jury Service

Posted: Tue 15 Aug, 2017 3:51 pm
by red
I used to attend court back in the 70's on a regular basis
in a professional capacity of course! the system was
a farce then ,I think it was something like
10.00 to 11.30 then 14.00 to 15.30 ish looks
like things haven't changed! I thought if you
ran your own business it was a way out of it
but I may be wrong ,worth checking for anyone
if called for jury service.

Re: Jury Service

Posted: Fri 01 Sep, 2017 8:06 am
by Steve N
I had to attend way back in the 80's as a witness, went 4 times as one of the other witnesses failed to turn up, and the defence wanted to accuse him the crime :sweating: so wasted a whole day each time. on the last occasion the judge sent the police around to the guy's place and brought him in to the court .

Re: Jury Service

Posted: Fri 01 Sep, 2017 8:43 am
by Ed209
I was called up couple of years ago but was excused as I knew one of the solicitors, but for the morning I was there we were taken in to the court room and I remember thinking I would definitely not like to be standing in the dock on a charger. The provided lunch buffet was very nice though. I was disappointed that I couldn't stay.


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Re: Jury Service

Posted: Fri 01 Sep, 2017 8:48 am
by Ed209
I didn't mean in the dock on a horse either! [emoji3]


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Re: Jury Service

Posted: Fri 01 Sep, 2017 9:18 am
by Steve N
Well I could see you in the dock on a battery charger , hair on end :giggle: