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Your experience of Jury Service

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baz962

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I've not really noticed many cases of driving offences remanded in custody.
Apart from the fact you didn't state that it was driving offences in the post you made , how would someone commit a driving offence while already incarcerated. Of course they might have been on remand for something entirely different and also be up for a driving offence.
 
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GusB

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Got the call up in 2007. The fine new Courthouse was overflowing with cases, but I did not get picked till about 10th day. We were sent to a very ancient building where only one trial could be handled. It was only a case of what I would think was fairly mild, but what made me laugh was that we had to pass a prison van to get in the place, which to all and sundry meant he was serving time for other offences! I felt quite ill in the break to the extent I vomitted in the toilet. Back in the jury box I nearly did it again! Case closed for the evening, went straight to Doctors and was immediately hospitalised, so wife had to contact court next day to apologise for absence. Never found out what happened.
If it was me that was in the dock, I'd be thanking my lucky stars that you didn't have the chance to decide on my verdict, given your obvious prejudice! Innocent until proven guilty and all that... :rolleyes:
 

philjo

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I think my jury service at Cambridge crown court lasted 4 days. The first day we were sent home at lunchtime as the police had not arrived to give evidence! The jury in the other court were into their 7th week of a complex case.
 

87 027

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As a previous foreman of the jury I would say it's essential for the sake of justice to ensure that the verdict it is based on a fair and thorough assessment of the facts and evidence of the case presented.

That said, in both trials I have been called for, the charge has been been attempted murder so I suppose the stakes are higher...
 
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Jamiescott1

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Did it about 6 years ago.
Was called to trial on 1st day for a case that took over a week
A man accused of inappropriately touching the young granddaughter of his wife.
The defence gave no evidence and no witnesses, her closing statement was that its the crowns job to prove guilt not her job to prove innocence
During the trial they let us know about the defendants history and he had alot of past for this sort of thing (including very long jail terms for being found guilty in the past).

We deliberated for 2 days and could not agree. The judge would have accepted a 10/2 majority but there was not the evidence he did it. It was a hung jury so he got off
 

arbeia

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If it was me that was in the dock, I'd be thanking my lucky stars that you didn't have the chance to decide on my verdict, given your obvious prejudice! Innocent until proven guilty and all that... :rolleyes:
I think the obvious prejudice is with yourself, presuming because he was on remand/ sentence for other offences, that I had formed the opinion he was guilty!

No it doesn't, nor can you be certain the van belonged to your defendant.
Just as you cannot presume that the van wasn't for him.
 

dk1

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Thoroughly enjoyed it. Two weeks off work & an interesting case at the coroners court.
 

Puppetfinger

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As an aside, do those of you who were called for service at the Old Bailey live within reasonable commuting distance of Central London? Or can anyone living anywhere be called for Old Bailey service?
 

AY1975

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As an aside, do those of you who were called for service at the Old Bailey live within reasonable commuting distance of Central London? Or can anyone living anywhere be called for Old Bailey service?
AFAIK you can only be asked to serve at a court that's within reasonable commuting distance of your home, and it's usually your local crown court, at least under normal circumstances, although if you live in London you can be called to serve at your local crown court or at any of the central London crown courts.

That said, I believe that courts that are short of jurors (for example if several jurors or potential jurors get taken ill or are found not to be eligible to serve on a particular case) do occasionally have to source jurors from other courts within, say, a 50-mile radius. In fact, on one occasion back in 2016 Salisbury Crown Court had to resort to looking for potential jurors on the streets in the town centre. In the end they managed to recruit one juror in that way and they managed to source two more who had been called to Winchester Crown Court but weren't needed there: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...w-defendant-knew-case-detective-fell-ill.html
 

al78

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I've served on a jury once, covered just under two weeks, although much of that was being on standby for a second trial which I eventually wasn't required for. I remember the first day I turned up in the morning and didn't get into the court room until late afternoon. There had been some issues transporting the defendant across from the West country (I think he objected in some way). I think it went over the next couple of days before we were asked to give the verdict, initially most of us were in favour of pleading guilty whilst a couple thought the evidence was insufficient. After a good half hour discussion we all converged on the guilty verdict and after I gave it, the prosecution rattled off a list of other offences, can't remember if they were past crimes or past accusations. We were all satisfied we had delivered the correct verdict.
 
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