mondobongo
Über Member
A girl at work got called up ended up on a big case and was gone months.
Jury Service - I've just got the letter
- Thread starter summerdays
- Start date
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Mine starts on Monday, got to ring on Sunday night to find out if I need to go or not. Total ball-ache if you ask me. It's ok for people with time on their hands but very difficult in a small office where project and client responsibility is important.
I'm tempted to get there and shout "Awright Dave!" to the defendant whilst giving him the wink and the gun!
I'm tempted to get there and shout "Awright Dave!" to the defendant whilst giving him the wink and the gun!
OP
OP
summerdays
Cycling in the sun
- Location
- Bristol
My boss was not impressed when I told her when she rang up to find out if she needed to arrange cover for next week. I'm currently trying to draft a letter suggesting that winter 2009 would be much better for me... less busy time of work!!!
OP
OP
summerdays
Cycling in the sun
- Location
- Bristol
Well as it happens I was handed a leaflet about child care at the school gates today.. they offered it at a rate of £25 per day!!! (provide your own pack lunches) x 3!!! So their maximum allowence doesn't actually cover childcare at this one place.
(Is this really how much it costs for childcare these days?)
(Is this really how much it costs for childcare these days?)
Yellow Fang
Legendary Member
- Location
- Reading
I could do with a bit of jury service at the moment. Do you want to swap?
OP
OP
summerdays
Cycling in the sun
- Location
- Bristol
Deal - done send me your details.. or you could pretend to be me... would you pass for a 40's female
?
?
Yellow Fang
Legendary Member
- Location
- Reading
Sure, once I've had a shave.
Hover Fly
Lazy so and so
- Location
- Besides the lake, beneath the trees
In my old home town where there was no court higher than magistrates' no one ever got called up. 8 miles down the road in Barrow with a proper court and a different electoral roll, where I worked nearly everyone I knew that was eligible had got the letter.ColinJ said:
I did it a few years back, and it was interesting. There was a certain amount of hanging around on some days, so yes take a paperback or two. I did four cases over nine days, on the Thursday of the second week they told us not to bother coming in for the final Friday, since they already had enough Jurors for the cases on those days. Mostly they only have you doing it for a couple of weeks, unless you're unlucky enough to end up doing a long trial.
Most of the cases I dealt with were relatively minor stuff, potentially life changing for the people involved, but not exactly earth shattering. A lot of it came down to how much you believed the witnesses and accused. When you think about it, if the accused person was clearly guilty, they would be stupid to go to court, so they will most likely plead guilty, so no need for a jury. On the other hand, if the case was very weak, and there was little evidence, the CPS wouldn't bother taking the case to court. It seemed like most of the cases were where there was a grey area, and guilt or innocence wasn't that clear, and they all seemed to come down to how much you believed people.
I didn't bother to claim my 9p a mile cycling travel allowance!
Most of the cases I dealt with were relatively minor stuff, potentially life changing for the people involved, but not exactly earth shattering. A lot of it came down to how much you believed the witnesses and accused. When you think about it, if the accused person was clearly guilty, they would be stupid to go to court, so they will most likely plead guilty, so no need for a jury. On the other hand, if the case was very weak, and there was little evidence, the CPS wouldn't bother taking the case to court. It seemed like most of the cases were where there was a grey area, and guilt or innocence wasn't that clear, and they all seemed to come down to how much you believed people.
I didn't bother to claim my 9p a mile cycling travel allowance!
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Don't get anything like excited about doing it - you end up doing nothing for ages, then get a call up, then the defendant's don't like the look of you......flippin waste of time.... then you go on cases that really shouldn't be there.... and you have some jummped up idiot that say's they are guilty, when there is no evidence...
craigwend
Grimpeur des terrains plats
Biggest waste of time I've ever done, 9 & 1/2 days in I was sent home - as would not get a case in the last 1/2 day!
The usher person told us, at one point no case had actually got to trial in 3 months, as they had all plea bargained before the case, pleaded gulity, got a lesser sentence, and had spent months on remand with better conditions, lost my faith in british justice & I would happily get rid of the jury system, as is rife from abuse from defendents and lawyers/solictiorsat our expense!
The usher person told us, at one point no case had actually got to trial in 3 months, as they had all plea bargained before the case, pleaded gulity, got a lesser sentence, and had spent months on remand with better conditions, lost my faith in british justice & I would happily get rid of the jury system, as is rife from abuse from defendents and lawyers/solictiorsat our expense!
goo_mason
Champion barbed-wire hurdler
- Location
- Leith, Edinburgh
Got called up for potential selection for the 4th time two years ago, but I was actually drawn from the hat and became a juror for three days.
Very interesting, though simply a case of alleged drunken assault. It was actually really funny when they got two witnesses who the accused had said were the ones who'd actually assaulted the victim. They were very used to being in court, very cocky and one of them actually admitted to doing it when the defence solicitor pressed him. There was lots of hilarity over tales of kebabs and the list of drinks that they claim to have drunk in the space of two hours and yet said they were sober.
The guy who'd been assaulted was so drunk he couldn't recall who'd hit him. The whole case was pretty farcical, including the very-well dressed drunk who kept wandering into the courtroom and taking a seat, only to be escorted out repeatedly by the police !
Very interesting, though simply a case of alleged drunken assault. It was actually really funny when they got two witnesses who the accused had said were the ones who'd actually assaulted the victim. They were very used to being in court, very cocky and one of them actually admitted to doing it when the defence solicitor pressed him. There was lots of hilarity over tales of kebabs and the list of drinks that they claim to have drunk in the space of two hours and yet said they were sober.
The guy who'd been assaulted was so drunk he couldn't recall who'd hit him. The whole case was pretty farcical, including the very-well dressed drunk who kept wandering into the courtroom and taking a seat, only to be escorted out repeatedly by the police !
