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[Jimbob]

Just for Jury Duty  

Anyone done it?  Whats it 'really' like?

[Golfbuddy]

Be careful you don't get murdered in your bed by the family of some poor innocent you may condemn to a life of false imprisonment.

  

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Nope..... never been called up....Have friends who have done JS ..said that it can be quite stressful......depending on what the person is supposed to have done. :-/

[Taxi_Driver]

Never done it...but id try to get out of it if I were you.....

Dont think sitting there listening to your ipod and sufing OOF on your lappy would go go done well with the judge  

You could try an excuse on 'flatulance' grounds  

[Banjax]

i was on a jury years ago - and was shocked by the lack of attention  people gave it - it was a very serious case and most of the jury seemed to make their mind up by how shifty the defence lawyer looked and how smooth, good-looking the prosecutor was!!!!!!

seriously opened my eyes - most of them wanted it done and dusted quickly to get back to their lifes

one guy even turned up hammered at 10am and court was adjourned until he'd sobered up!!! (not me btw)

judge was asleep throughout most of the evidence - only woke up to warn the drunk guy he'd be jailed for contempt if he showed up drunk again!!

it was like a bad sitcom

this was early 90's - but i doubt it's changed much

[Jimbob]

Its a few weeks out of work, wont be out of pocket for it.

Dont mind at all, be a change if nowt else.

No intention of trying to get out of it.

[TheBoy]

Had to do it twice.

First time, had to hang around for hours on first day, as judge got up late, made it into court, and sworn in, but defence said it was likely to drag on for weeks, and I had a holiday booked, so they sent me home.

Second time, first case had a couple of days delay, so sat around in the jurers room for 2 days, before defence changed to guilty plea, so sent home.  Next case collapsed before making it to court. Next one I wasn't picked to be chosen in jury.  Then they run out of cases (can't believe that!).  So the last time, I never made it into a courtroom!

It will open your eyes to how inefficient and wasteful the system is.


My advice, take plenty of books (seem to recall electronic devices not allowed, even in jurors room). You will be bored shitless.  I just hope you get a juicy case, but most of mine were drug dealing....

[Bandit127]

Not done it here, but let's hope you have some nice, mundane cases to deal with.

Can be traumatic if you are in on the 'wrong' case, according someone I know.

Getting out of it seems to be pretty hard too. No amount of 'pressure of work' or letters from the boss will do it, seemingly.

[TheBoy]

Its a few weeks out of work, wont be out of pocket for it.

Dont mind at all, be a change if nowt else.

No intention of trying to get out of it.

lol, the first time i did it, some jumped up little shit of a jurer who thought he was so important to his company tried getting out of it, saying his boss wouldn't allow it. Judge kicked him off jury, and said him and his boss would be charged with contempt

[Gaffers]

I was trawled for Court Martial Jury Duty once, my boss was great and told em to break off!  

[Lizzie_Zoom]

Had to do it twice.

First time, had to hang around for hours on first day, as judge got up late, made it into court, and sworn in, but defence said it was likely to drag on for weeks, and I had a holiday booked, so they sent me home.

Second time, first case had a couple of days delay, so sat around in the jurers room for 2 days, before defence changed to guilty plea, so sent home.  Next case collapsed before making it to court. Next one I wasn't picked to be chosen in jury.  Then they run out of cases (can't believe that!).  So the last time, I never made it into a courtroom!

It will open your eyes to how inefficient and wasteful the system is.


My advice, take plenty of books (seem to recall electronic devices not allowed, even in jurors room). You will be bored shitless.  I just hope you get a juicy case, but most of mine were drug dealing....

How right you are TB!!

I had a similar experience to yours in the 1980s at Bristol Crown Court.   I spent more time sitting around chatting with other people and drinking tea, then being sent home, than I actually had sitting in court!

Sat in on two cases that lasted one day each, and with each we reached a rapid decision of "not guilty", which was very disappointing and boring!  I wanted some real legal action, but it just never happened!

Nothing like Tony Hancock's 'The Jury', or was it 'The Juror'?; whatever!!

[Banjax]

Had to do it twice.

First time, had to hang around for hours on first day, as judge got up late, made it into court, and sworn in, but defence said it was likely to drag on for weeks, and I had a holiday booked, so they sent me home.

Second time, first case had a couple of days delay, so sat around in the jurers room for 2 days, before defence changed to guilty plea, so sent home.  Next case collapsed before making it to court. Next one I wasn't picked to be chosen in jury.  Then they run out of cases (can't believe that!).  So the last time, I never made it into a courtroom!

It will open your eyes to how inefficient and wasteful the system is.


My advice, take plenty of books (seem to recall electronic devices not allowed, even in jurors room). You will be bored shitless.  I just hope you get a juicy case, but most of mine were drug dealing....

How right you are TB!!

I had a similar experience to yours in the 1980s at Bristol Crown Court.   I spent more time sitting around chatting with other people and drinking tea, then being sent home, than I actually had sitting in court!

Sat in on two cases that lasted one day each, and with each we reached a rapid decision of "not guilty", which was very disappointing and boring!  I wanted some real legal action, but it just never happened!

Nothing like Tony Hancock's 'The Jury', or was it 'The Juror'?; whatever!!

it is hopeless - nothing starts til 10am, 2hr lunch from 12-2pm then knock off at 4!!! maybe its been tightened lately  

[Vamps]

Had to do it twice.

First time, had to hang around for hours on first day, as judge got up late, made it into court, and sworn in, but defence said it was likely to drag on for weeks, and I had a holiday booked, so they sent me home.

Second time, first case had a couple of days delay, so sat around in the jurers room for 2 days, before defence changed to guilty plea, so sent home.  Next case collapsed before making it to court. Next one I wasn't picked to be chosen in jury.  Then they run out of cases (can't believe that!).  So the last time, I never made it into a courtroom!

It will open your eyes to how inefficient and wasteful the system is.


My advice, take plenty of books (seem to recall electronic devices not allowed, even in jurors room). You will be bored shitless.  I just hope you get a juicy case, but most of mine were drug dealing....

How right you are TB!!

I had a similar experience to yours in the 1980s at Bristol Crown Court.   I spent more time sitting around chatting with other people and drinking tea, then being sent home, than I actually had sitting in court!

Sat in on two cases that lasted one day each, and with each we reached a rapid decision of "not guilty", which was very disappointing and boring!  I wanted some real legal action, but it just never happened!

Nothing like Tony Hancock's 'The Jury', or was it 'The Juror'?; whatever!!

it is hopeless - nothing starts til 10am, 2hr lunch from 12-2pm then knock off at 4!!! maybe its been tightened lately  

Not in my experience. not been called up for Jury service yet.
Was in Court last week for 3 days, spent an hour and a half in the witness stand, I was well prepared but still a nerve racking experience.
Only had an hour for lunch and was nearly 5.00pm on Thursday when we finished.

[tunnie]

mother tunnie did it, she went to the court 5 times, never got called in.

Take a good book!

[HolyCount]

I used to be exempt -- but became eligible again a few years back --- so far, touch wood and all that, haven't been called up.  Knowing my luck I'd get some accounting fraud that would drag on for weeks and I wouldn't have a clue what was going on !!!!!!