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Your experience of Jury Service

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johnnychips

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I was very struck by a post in another thread by @Islineclear3_1
I know this as I spent 4 months jury service at the Old Bailey and we had a 47-page size A3 booklet full of call logs, IMEI numbers, cell tower locations/identifiers which proved invaluable to the case
Four months! If you were working, what did your employer think?

Have any members any experiences to share (that you are allowed to, of course)? I’ve never got the call.
 
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Cowley

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Never done it although I know plenty of people that have. I don’t know if this is because I’m self employed though possibly?
It would fairly mess up my business if I had to take 4 months off that’s for sure.
 

Gloster

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Getting exemption is difficult, or was about twenty years ago. A friend’s sister was the only accounts clerk in a business with around forty or fifty people. Without her they would have to bring in someone from outside, who probably wouldn’t have the knowledge of their particular area of business, to prepare the end of year books. No exemption was granted for a case expected to last around two months. Luckily, the accused decided to plead guilty at the last minute.
 

D6130

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I did jury service fifteen years ago in a case which lasted a week, after which it took us about 45 minutes to find the defendant 'not guilty' - even though it was entirely obvious that he was guilty. However it is impressed on jurors before the trial that they must base their verdict on the evidence, all of which in this case was entirely circumstantial. Added to this, the prosecuting counsel was a bumbling buffoon, who frequently mislaid his papers and on one morning brought in the wrong set of papers (they were for a different case entirely!), thus earning a very stern and very public reprimand from the judge for the amount of time and public money that he had wasted through having to adjourn for the rest of the day. By contrast, his opposite number on the defence side was very organised, sharp-minded and focussed. The case was heard in a modern city centre court complex with excellent facilities for the jurors, including a comfortable lounge, dedicated subsidised canteen and immaculate toilets and washrooms. However, the whole experience opened my eyes to the huge cost of the trial-by-jury system and I had to submit a claim for loss of income, as I was not paid by the railway while on jury service.
 

Busaholic

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I've never been called, and now too old. My wife was called for Old Bailey jury service about thirty years ago and, to her chagrin, her employer made an objection on the grounds she was too indispensable and their objection was upheld! She never got called again and, as with me, too old now.
 

Busaholic

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Without googling it, I think it's 70, but I stand to be corrected.
 

Senex

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I did jury service fifteen years ago in a case which lasted a week, after which it took us about 45 minutes to find the defendant 'not guilty' - even though it was entirely obvious that he was guilty. However it is impressed on jurors before the trial that they must base their verdict on the evidence, all of which in this case was entirely circumstantial. Added to this, the prosecuting counsel was a bumbling buffoon, who frequently mislaid his papers and on one morning brought in the wrong set of papers (they were for a different case entirely!), thus earning a very stern and very public reprimand from the judge for the amount of time and public money that he had wasted through having to adjourn for the rest of the day. By contrast, his opposite number on the defence side was very organised, sharp-minded and focussed. The case was heard in a modern city centre court complex with excellent facilities for the jurors, including a comfortable lounge, dedicated subsidised canteen and immaculate toilets and washrooms. However, the whole experience opened my eyes to the huge cost of the trial-by-jury system and I had to submit a claim for loss of income, as I was not paid by the railway while on jury service.
I was a member of a jury in what sounds like a very similar case some thirty years ago in London. But there the facimlities for the jury were abslutely lousy, with no proper segregation outside the courtroom from the defendant's family, friends, and lawyers, totally inadequate café facilities, tiny and badly-ventilated jury-room — all to watch the low-quality theatrics of the trial itself and listen to unimpressive witnesses. A judge sitting with a couple of assessors could have done the job every bit as well. As far as I was concerned, thank God I was called for jury-service only the once and am now too old to be called again. I thought it an utter waste of time.
 

Snow1964

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Have been called twice, one in Kingston upon Thames about 20 years ago, once to Old Bailey about 10 years ago.

First one involved lots of hanging around, then an assault trial (3 days), plainly guilty but was trying the not guilty as she was upset as just found out her mother was ill and wanted court to think it was excuse to physically attack her boss. Then got a rape trial, she had got drunk, went back to his, got in his bed, then claimed rape. But as the test is beyond reasonable doubt and she couldn’t remember what she was saying or doing it was one drunks vague memory vs another so after 6 days was not guilty. (Everyone learnt where women is completely drunk waste of time procescuting a rape case)

Second time at old Bailey was a group of 4 thugs who attacked a coloured guy breaking his leg with baseball bat, one had pleaded guilty early on (was all on cctv), another pleaded guilty before jury went in, other 2 were clearly involved and had joined in with their mates. All went to prison for few years. Again learnt that justice system wastes money and some barristers don’t live in real world, as an example at short notice summoned a tree surgeon (who one defendant had worked for) to give a character reference, which took few minutes, but he had cancelled whole job and stood down 5 others for whole day because he was only one qualified with the ropes.

I don’t think there is upper age limit for jury service now, but can ask to be excluded if called if over 70 (might be 75)
 
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hexagon789

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I’m sure I could Google it, but how old is too old these days?
22 years to go then. It’s not too late. ;)
It's 71

Worth noting that in England and Wales you have a roughly 1 in 3 chance of being called for jury service over the 18-71 year old range. In Scotland it's a near certainty at 95%. Indeed the chances are that in Scotland you'll be called up 2 or 3 times!
 

1955LR

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I am in my middle 70's and have been called three times. and have served on a jury on two occasions . I was very impressed on how seriously jury members took the whole process both at Worcester Crown Court. I did feel that the whole process took longer than it could , mainly due to late starts and early finishes. Having said that, people have to get to the court each day and as they are now less local it can be a two hour or more , each way. If jury members had to travel the previous day & stay overnight the cost would balloon. I was employed by Rover Group and it was in the standard conditions of employment that paid absence for Jury service was permitted. A number of jury members were Self employed , and as one said to me , the crops don't stop growing even though you might get some expenses.
 

oldman

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Indeed the chances are that in Scotland you'll be called up 2 or 3 times!
I was called three times - 2 Sheriff, one High Court - but only served once. It was oddly incompetent in a tragic case.

The prosecution had prepared individual booklets of scene of crime pictures for the jury - and lost them. 15 of us had to use three copies borrowed from the lawyers and the judge.
A witness gave evidence in an Asian language but the translator wasn't up to it and would often reduce a long speech to a few words. The defence complained but it didn't make much difference.
They had to swear in a Muslim witness but no one knew how. The witness would not take the Koran, there was no form of words for the witness to repeat or agree to. In the end the translator said the witness said she would tell the truth and the lawyers agreed that would have to do.

Also a witness was asked to identify someone and picked out the only two ethnic-Asian people in the court - a slim sharp-featured seventeen-year old and a plump-faced 40-something year old. You could see the lawyers rolling their eyes in disbelief.

In the end the victim said she couldn't remember anything, so, after legal argument in our absence, the Advocate Depute simply said she wished to 'desert the libels', which of course no one explained to the jury. Then we all went home.
 

Farang

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Shortly after Mrs. Farang received her UK citizenship, she was summoned for jury service. This is apparently a common occurrence. No other member of the Farang family, all bar one UK citizens through birth, has ever been summoned and we have approx 200 years citizenship between us.

It was easy enough for Mrs. Farang to get out of jury service. She simply posted a plea for help in a Facebook group and within a short time had loads of replies on the lines of "The same thing happened to me and this is how to get out of doing it".
 
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KeithMcC

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I was called years ago and spent a very boring 2 weeks. The only actual case was like ones described above - the prosecuting lawyer was useless and the defending one very good and tried very hard to sow confusion with fairly irrelevant alibis!
The jury facilities were OK (modern court), but it was obvious that everything was arranged for the convenience of the judge and everyone else had to wait.
My wife was called several times and just kept asking where the childcare facilities were until they gave up. Not clear how a full time mother is supposed to spend all day in court!
 

XAM2175

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Shortly after Mrs. Farang received her UK citizenship, she was summoned for jury service. This is apparently a common occurrence. No other member of the Farang family, all bar one UK citizens through birth, has ever been summoned and we have approx 200 years citizenship between us.
In a similar vein, I was summoned for the first time in my life pretty much exactly one week after I'd passed the five-year UK residency threshold. In the end I was was on standby for four days but wasn't selected, for which I was rather grateful as I'd only just started in self-employment and thus had no way of substantiating any claim of lost earnings.
 

pdq

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I did a fortnight in the late 90s when I was in my 20s - think it was Inner London Crown Court. It was certainly interesting to experience the justice system even if the trials I sat on were thankfully rather mundane. I recall they were all actual bodily harm - 3 or 4 cases in all, I think. I had a definite inner sense of the 'scales of justice' as the evidence pulled you one way then the other. I was in no doubt that I had to be absolutely sure of the evidence to give a guilty verdict, and my fellow jurors largely felt the same way.

I remember one trial where we were trying a couple (man and woman in a relationship) for ABH against another person. Unfortunately for the accused man, he admitted in his evidence to grabbing and squeezing the victim's testicles, so we really had no choice but to find him guilty. Even though his partner was probably 'more' guilty than he was, there wasn't enough evidence to be sure and we couldn't come to a decision that the judge would accept. I assume she was retried at some later point.
 

gg1

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Worth noting that in England and Wales you have a roughly 1 in 3 chance of being called for jury service over the 18-71 year old range. In Scotland it's a near certainty at 95%.
Why is that?

Are jury trials used for a wider range of offences in Scottish law?
 

hexagon789

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Why is that?

Are jury trials used for a wider range of offences in Scottish law?
I should perhaps have said summoned, that's what the earlier 1 in 3 for E&W relates to.

In Scotland for criminal trials with 15 jurors, 30 people are summoned. Those 30 are by ballot reduced to 15.

On average 30% of those summoned will actually take part in a trial and about 40% of those that do will take part in more than one trial.

The actual offences for which a jury trial is the norm is probably about the same as in England, iirc many more minor offences in the Sheriff's Court could have a jury (8 in these cases) but it was reformed in the 1970s I believe.

I should know the details, but despite living and being from Scotland I studied English law not Scots law!
 

Sm5

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Ive been called up twice.
Both times by the district courts of San Francisco.
Both within a year of each other.
However not being a US citizen I was released from obligation.

The joys of linking not the Electoral register, but the DMV licence office to the courts system.

Never been asked in this country.

Closest was as a university student, the police did call on campus to ask for volunteers for a police line up. About 10 of us went to the station to stand in line. The accused moved a few of us about and selected his own spot.
The victim came, called him out immediately, no second guessing at which police took him away. We all got about £15 a piece for taking part and a ride back to campus.
Looking back on it, he didnt have a chance really.. we were all 20 year old students in student clothes, he looked like an 18 year old in local scrote clothes..but then again I think he did it, even if ive no idea what he did, just by the way he was acting… if he hadn't done anything then why fear being pulled out, the odds would be stacked in his favour.
 
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Shimbleshanks

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Never had to do it myself, but the owner of a company in Liverpool that I work for has and it's passed into office folklore: "I'm gonna send a crew down from 'Uyton to BATTER you" from a lady to a prosecution witness...
Every time I see a road sign to Huyton, I still chuckle...
 

37424

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It's 71

Worth noting that in England and Wales you have a roughly 1 in 3 chance of being called for jury service over the 18-71 year old range. In Scotland it's a near certainty at 95%. Indeed the chances are that in Scotland you'll be called up 2 or 3 times!
So 71 is too old to be a on a Jury, but not to be a Politician who pass the laws!
 

Busaholic

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So 71 is too old to be a on a Jury, but not to be a Politician who pass the laws!
You can only be a politician if sufficient people vote for you, with the dishonourable exception of the ever-expanding House of Lords, so it's up to the electorate if they perceive it as a problem.
 

37424

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You can only be a politician if sufficient people vote for you, with the dishonourable exception of the ever-expanding House of Lords, so it's up to the electorate if they perceive it as a problem.
Well in my eyes if your too old to sit in judgement as to whether or not someone has broken the law, then in my view you are also too old to be part of the group which make and pass the laws of this country be that House of Commons or House of Lords
 

Sm5

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I’d probably trust an elderly person more to make an accurate judgement.

more life experience, nothing to gain or lose and less influenced, so more likely to have a balanced judgement, just as long as their still cognitive, fit and able… look at William Shatner 90 years old, looks like he’s in his 60’s.
 

87 027

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Having done jury service a couple of times (both trials had the charge of attempted murder) and acting as foreman second time round I was keen to go round the table, explore the basis on why people came to the view they did, and ensure we were collectively comfortable with the position before returning to the courtroom. My personal view is that the system is very fair to the defendant
 

hexagon789

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So 71 is too old to be a on a Jury, but not to be a Politician who pass the laws!
No, it's simply voluntary after that. You can still serve as a juror at 71+ years old.

I also don't buy the idea that older people are unfit to be politicians. Simply there are people who are unfit to be politicians - they come in ALL ages.


My personal view is that the system is very fair to the defendant
Which is how it should be in any free society - the burden is on the prosecution to prove guilt not the other way around.
 
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