jury duty

Brendan Mulachy

Brendan Mulachy

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been called up for jury duty at a coroners court in a couple of months...cant say im looking forward to it, hopefully it doesn't drag on , my daughter is fuming she would love to do it
 
Brendan Mulachy said:
been called up for jury duty at a coroners court in a couple of months...cant say im looking forward to it, hopefully it doesn't drag on , my daughter is fuming she would love to do it
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Neither my wife and I have ever been called and we are now in our sixties, so I wonder how they choose people. There was a young lass who I worked with back in the nineties, who was called three times in as many years and she used to give all the details of the trials, probably the worst person you could think of to be a juror.
 
People are chosen completely at random from the electoral roll. Some never get chosen in their life, whereas I’ve been called four times, it’s just the luck of the draw. Be careful what you wish for though: my ex wife moaned like hell that I’d done so many but she’d never had a sniff. She did finally get the jury summons and ended up on a horrendous rape case that haunted her for months afterwards.
 
boogie man said:
People are chosen completely at random from the electoral roll. Some never get chosen in their life, whereas I’ve been called four times, it’s just the luck of the draw. Be careful what you wish for though: my ex wife moaned like hell that I’d done so many but she’d never had a sniff. She did finally get the jury summons and ended up on a horrendous rape case that haunted her for months afterwards.
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Yup.

I was called twice, had 3 cases one of which was a motoring offence but the other two involved rape and an attempt to decapitate. I'll never forget it but actually what went on in the jury room was the worst thing. The worst thing in the actual court was when some evidence was produced and the smell was just awful. The judge had to clear the court and open the windows while we waited for the smell to dissipate.

Other people, mostly women actually who seem fascinated with it all, said they'd love to be called.

Good luck with it Dave. I hope it's not too traumatic.
 
I got called once, sat through several days of evidence etc., to be given a direct instruction by the "top man" as to exactly why we should find the perpertator guity! Sore bum for days as I never used to sit down in my usual job! Use the experience as additional education!
 
i'm a nurse by trade so there's a good chance il have a bit of insight into the situation, coroners courts determine cause of death, wouldn't be as bad if they paid you your wages but they only pay £64.95 a day for loss of earnings and £5.71 for for your food..., bit of a drop from my normal days wages
 
I was called last year but got an exemption, because I am currently contracting for the MOJ working mainly in Prisons.
:D
 
It happens once in a blue moon or less. Get over it.
 
Pixbarmy said:
I got called once, sat through several days of evidence etc., to be given a direct instruction by the "top man" as to exactly why we should find the perpertator guity! Sore bum for days as I never used to sit down in my usual job! Use the experience as additional education!
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So what's the point of having a jury?

What would happen to you if you disagreed with his advice, and found the other way?
 
Sangoma said:
So what's the point of having a jury?

What would happen to you if you disagreed with his advice, and found the other way?
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If I remember correctly, he informed us of why he couldn't instruct us to pass a non-guilty verdict. Very cleverly done, as they are not allowed to instruct a jury to give a guilty verdict!!! (As I stated above - sorry for the confusion - I am not a lawyer!) They give direction on points of law. As to disagreeing, that is why we have the system. You can and they often do!
 
Pixbarmy said:
If I remember correctly, he informed us of why he couldn't instruct us to pass a non-guilty verdict. Very cleverly done, as they are not allowed to instruct a jury to give a guilty verdict!!! (As I stated above - sorry for the confusion - I am not a lawyer!) They give direction on points of law. As to disagreeing, that is why we have the system. You can and they often do!
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That's what I thought it should be, and makes sense.
I didn't read it as they they instructed, just advised, but I thought I had seen in the press that a jury had been instructed, but that was probably just press-talk from what you say.
You made the important point though that they can and do go against the "advice" :)
 
Pixbarmy said:
You can and they often do!
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Indeed.

The classic example is the Clive Ponting case where...
The judge, Sir Anthony McCowan, "had indicated that the jury should convict him" and had ruled that "the public interest is what the government of the day says it is".
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...but the jury still acquited him!
 
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I was called up for jury duty a month ago. I turned up at the court before 8.30am and, after being ticked off as attending and being allocated a juror number, we all sat around for a couple of hours before they started a video explaining what was involved in serving on a jury. This was followed by another two hour or so wait and then, around lunchtime, they came out and announced it was called off because the defendant entered into a plea bargain and we could all go home......
 
Did it once a few years ago not a big case, it took most of the week and the only thing I took away from it was that if that's the standard of professionalism from the prosecution, it's no surprise that unless the defendant is so obviously guilty that they get off.
 
wasn't that bad as I got told to go home, there were 15 of us picked initially, but they only needed 12 ..one of the cases I was due to hear I work not for but with the NHS trust involved so there was a conflict of interest and out the door I went on my merry way hopefully never to be called up again
 
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