Jury Service

You get asked, some people never do adn some people are summoned more than once, just your donald duck
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you get called up to do it - they use the electoral roll to pick randomly.

i got called to do it last November and it got extended past the 2 weeks. However some of the guys that were there when i were were on a serious case that had been already running for 12 wks!
 
we were talking about this the other day. for cases like the diana case back along and others that go on for ages and ages, do they still use the electoral roll or pick special people. and if its for ages do you get compensated, because you would be loosing loads of money otherwise? :S
 
I used to work at Nottingham Crown and Magistrates court - was such a fun job. Used to love spending a bored afternoon sitting in court listening to what was happening - shame couldn't take in popcorn! Live Jeremy Kyle - especially family court PMSL

There was a guy who used to go everyday - he bring a packed lunch!! LOL
 
depends who you work for. I work for the civil service so I got paid as normal through work and didnt loose anything. however most companies wont pay you so you claim off the jury service. think it isnt a lot for the 1st 2 wks something like £70 a week but once youve done 10+ days the amounts jumps up and by quite a bit.
you also get expenses, travel and food!
yes they still use the electoral roll, but be aware that if you get called up and chosen for a hearing you can be turned down by anyone in the court room - for something small as they dont like the look of you. You do have to inform the judge by note if you know anyone in the court room as this can go against the case. I got on one case and knew one of the barristers - it was awful standing up in court explaining how i knew him (even though it was all above board - i learnt to ride at his and his wifes riding school years ago and bought a pony off them) the judge said due to the reasoning I could stay if the opposite side agreed - they did.
 
OHHHHHH, I thought I was the only one in the country who wanted to do it
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You have to be called, but when I was at uni we had to go to the old bailey as part of my course, not nice cases, but very interesting, and you can really see why juries take such a long time to decide the outcome, one day you are with the accussed , the next with the accussing.. if you want to see a case you can go in the galleries at any crown court
 
I've been called up on 3 separate occasions but never actually served on a jury.

They call up many more people than will be needed. You all sit through the initial reading of what the case is and then anyone who knows someone involved has to drop out, as explained above.

Then they gave everyone a number and picked numbers out, and if you're not picked then you're off to a waiting room to do the same thing for another case and you are there for the day until they tell you to go.
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Also did the appeal court, but was really boring.

It was a high profile case, that involved a mother who was alledged to have drowned her children, she was found inocent, so can speak about it.

THe only exciting bit was I eneded up on the news
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I did jury service for a murder trial about 13 years ago....... It was very interesting and I would love to do it again.

But I dread being called again (and would try to avoid going) as I am self employed and would lose too much money by not being able to work
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OH was called and declined to attend, he had to write and explain why... it was deferred for a year and he had to write again to explain why he could not go.... he is now exempt!!
 
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OH was called and declined to attend, he had to write and explain why... it was deferred for a year and he had to write again to explain why he could not go.... he is now exempt!!

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What excuse did he use?

I don't know whether it really works, but I was always told to turn up in a smart suit, with a copy off the Daily Telegraph under your arm and the defence would reject you for being a paid up member of the "flog 'em and hang 'em, then flog 'em again" wing of the Conservative party.

I should be able to get out of jury service now anyway on medical grounds!
 
I did this years ago - the waiting about is very boring so take plenty of books. However we had a nice, very intricate and interesting fraud case (would have made a good plot for a book), and it was SOOOO annoying because the 2 of the 3 other women on the jury wouldn't agree with the rest of us, and one kept changing her mind, they kept feeling sorry for the accused, as opposed to working it out from the facts. There was actually a way the accused could have entirely got away with it and not all the jury had worked this out - basically the fraudster hadn't been clever enough and had left too many tracks, whereas if at one point (s)he'd done 'something' enough people would at that point have believed him/her innocent, and it'd probably never have gone to court as many of the affected would have doubted the evidence and believed circumstance. (Think that's not enough identifiable detail which is why it's vague!). In the end we made it a vote on a piece of paper and got 11 out of 12 in agreement, but we were almost 2 days deliberating. Oooh I dooo love a good arguement!
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I did jury service and foiund it very interesting if a little bit long winded at times. Sat on 2 different cases over the 2 weeks. Mine was a Crown court and fell in the summer holidays so didn't lose any time off work


Would love to do it again
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He had just started up his own business and it would have been catastrophic to it for him to go to court for two or more weeks
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Shame coz he would have loved to have done it.

I got mine deferred as I was called up when still nursing a small baby!!! Didnt think they would want me with her stuffed up my jumper!!! Got it deferred for a year.
 
Usually it has to be something very serious, or a major medical issue to be given permission to not attend, my mum was called once but has deep vein thrombosis and couldn't attend, she not been asked again, my aunty has been called up 3 times and been picked to sit 3 times, a friend has just done 2 weeks at county court and a livery on my old yard did 24 weeks at crown court ona gangland murder trial last year!
 
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Usually it has to be something very serious, or a major medical issue to be given permission to not attend, my mum was called once but has deep vein thrombosis and couldn't For attend, she not been asked again, my aunty has been called up 3 times and been picked to sit 3 times, a friend has just done 2 weeks at county court and a livery on my old yard did 24 weeks at crown court ona gangland murder trial last year!

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Well I have weekly blood tests at hospital, so cannot attend court on Wednesdays. Also, a side effect of my condition is anaemia, which tends to makes me fall asleep after lunch, especially sat in a warm room, with nothing interesting going on...

For good measure, I also have some noise-induced deafness, so I could just play that up and say I cannot hear what they are saying!
 
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Are you attempting to take the piss?? Because if so Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit! My mum was also pregnant with me at the time of the DVT so it was taken very seriosly and it was also 25 years ago.

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You have lost me completely now. I have no idea wtf you are going on about dear...
 
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Do not call me dear! Your post quoting my post came across as sarcastic.

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Reread all of the above and I still have no idea what you are on about DEAR. If you can remember what you are on about, let me know. If you can't, don't bother!
 
I did jury service a few years ago and found it fascinating. Was on three different cases, none overly exciting but it was an eye opener nonetheless.
 
I would really like to do jury service, but knowing my luck i'll get called in the summer hols when i just want to be with my daughter and my horses! Now would be good as i am going mad with with nativity rehersals!
 
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