Jury Duty

dark crystal

Was speaking to a group of friends today and we got talking about jury duty. I have been called twice now (chosen once), but none of them had ever even been called, nor knew of anyone else who had.

I served on a serious assault case and we ultimately found the defendant guilty. We were all pretty much in agreement, but there was one guy who was arguing in his favour. He eventually relented and all in all, the case only lasted a day. Was hard when the verdict was read out, as yer man was eying us all up menacingly, but it was definitely the right decision, given the evidence presented to us.

Has anyone here ever served on a jury and what was your experience? (Obviously, no names of anyone involved please!)

easyeason3

No never got asked or invited or whatever it is.
I wouldn't mind it though, in fact I'd love it but I'm a nosy bitch.

PCPhoto

im exempt from jury duty.

aoshea83

PCPhoto wrote: »

im exempt from jury duty.

me too :mad:

epgc3fyqirnbsx

got called but not picked, pretty boring experience, I had fantasies of a Primal Fear type court room drama unfolding though it was unlikely in the mayo circuit court

hondasam

PCPhoto wrote: »

im exempt from jury duty.

me too

dark crystal

PCPhoto wrote: »

im exempt from jury duty.

Why so?

hondasam

dark crystal wrote: »

Why so?

for me it's because of my job.

phasers

A lot of ex cons in this thread...

aoshea83

Fathers job rules me out

LEIN

Never called but and never want to be called tbh.

Not jury duty in the usual sense but I was on a jury in the Coroners Court once.

Pauleta

I did it once and enjoyed it. Free lunches everyday were also fantastic.

Praetorian Saighdiuir

Im exempt too.......id love to do it though. I heard you get free cookies.

dark crystal

hondasam wrote: »

for me it's because of my job.

Aah, fair enough.

Just realised me asking that question could be construed as being kinda nosy and intrusive

It's just that it was drummed into us at the courthouse that this was a solemn civic duty blah blah. A few people tried to get out of it, but were told in no uncertain terms that they would need be a pretty serious reason to get out of doing it.

omahaid

aoshea83 wrote: »

Fathers job rules me out

?

Didn't think your parents could do that?

dark crystal

Karsini wrote: »

Not jury duty in the usual sense but I was on a jury in the Coroners Court once.

Really? That sounds intriguing....

I thought the coroners court was merely the coroner relaying the findings of an autopsy - never knew there was a jury involved.

galwayrush

It would probably mean no pay for a day / days.
Do you at least get a free lunch?

AckwelFoley

Would like to be called.

Id find whoever it was guilty.


Just for the lulz

hondasam

dark crystal wrote: »

Aah, fair enough.

Just realised me asking that question could be construed as being kinda nosy and intrusive

It's just that it was drummed into us at the courthouse that this was a solemn civic duty blah blah. A few people tried to get out of it, but were told in no uncertain terms that they would need be a pretty serious reason to get out of doing it.

you have to be exempt because of some jobs, conflict of interest may arise.

dark crystal

galwayrush wrote: »

It would probably mean no pay for a day / days.
Do you at least get a free lunch?

Your employers are required to pay you for any time off incurred.

And yes, you get really nice lunches!

dark crystal

hondasam wrote: »

you have to be exempt because of some jobs, conflict of interest may arise.

Yep, I just read up on that - there are a fair few professions exempted, actually.

hondasam

snyper wrote: »

Would like to be called.

Id find whoever it was guilty.


Just for the lulz

would you feel bad having to decide on someone's freedom ?

could you just walk away and forget about it?

hondasam

dark crystal wrote: »

Yep, I just read up on that - there are a fair few professions exempted, actually.

must read that, don't know what professions are exempt.

dark crystal

hondasam wrote: »

must read that, don't know what professions are exempt.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/justice/courtroom/eligibility_and_selection.html

PCPhoto

dark crystal wrote: »

Why so?

work

Praetorian Saighdiuir

hondasam wrote: »

must read that, don't know what professions are exempt.

Here ya go.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/justice/courtroom/eligibility_and_selection.html



oooops, just in ahead of my DK....well played!

galwayrush

dark crystal wrote: »

Your employers are required to pay you for any time off incurred.

And yes, you get really nice lunches!

Aw well, i'm self employed so no money then.:(

dark crystal

dark crystal wrote: »

Really? That sounds intriguing....

I thought the coroners court was merely the coroner relaying the findings of an autopsy - never knew there was a jury involved.

It's more a formality, in the cases I was present for (two in one day), the first verdict was death by misadventure and the second was accidental death. The coroner will generally suggest some options that the jury can then discuss, they are not allowed to attribute blame.

The jury are also given the option to suggest a rider, for example, in the case of an RTA the jury may make a suggestion on how the accident could have been prevented. This is then put on the official record.

phasers

* those who have a disability or are unable to read so that it is not practicable for them to serve on a jury.

Why don't more people just say they're illiterate?

Thomas828

hondasam wrote: »

would you feel bad having to decide on someone's freedom ?

could you just walk away and forget about it?

I didn't feel bad about sending those two scummers to jail. I did jury service in 1999 at Snaresbrook Crown Court in London and it was a case of attempted armed robbery. After we had passed the guilty verdict the prosecuting counsel revealed that the two defendants had a string of criminal offences going back more than fifteen years.

dark crystal

It does make you wonder, if you knew the past history of the defendants, would there be a much higher conviction rate.

For instance, I know many of the jury who sat on the O.J Simpson trial were shocked at the amount of evidence that was deemed inadmissable at the trial. Many of them would have changed their plea, had they been privy to it.

I guess you can only judge on the bare facts put in front of you at the time. However, you do get a sense of the person you are judging and no matter how many times the judge directs you to decide just on the facts alone, the defendant can give so much away by their general demeanour.

AckwelFoley

hondasam wrote: »

would you feel bad having to decide on someone's freedom ?

could you just walk away and forget about it?

Joking aside - i wouldn't have a problem

Someones freedom is decided by their own actions.

Its up to the Jury to decide if there case proves innocence or guilt

hondasam

snyper wrote: »

Joking aside - i wouldn't have a problem

Someones freedom is decided by their own actions.

Its up to the Jury to decide if there case proves innocence or guilt

what if you made the wrong decision or others persuaded you. I would hate to be undecided. If it was clear cut it would be easy.

AckwelFoley

hondasam wrote: »

what if you made the wrong decision or others persuaded you. I would hate to be undecided. If it was clear cut it would be easy.

Well, thats why there is more than one person on a jury..

gurramok

You'd only be called for jury duty if your name is on the electoral register(yeh antiquated system)
Have never been called yet but i've heard colleagues dreading been called. I'd love to be called for so to experience it but then again intimidation of juries in serious gangland style cases would put me off.

Sparks43

Cant be selected myself as i would be prejudicial towards all Boards Mods

dark crystal

gurramok wrote: »

You'd only be called for jury duty if your name is on the electoral register(yeh antiquated system)
Have never been called yet but i've heard colleagues dreading been called. I'd love to be called for so to experience it but then again intimidation of juries in serious gangland style cases would put me off.

But I think (could be wrong) that you are procluded from any contact with the outside world after being selected.

That is, you are either on the jury bench, the deliberation room or a hotel (if the case goes on for more than a day), so the chances of coming into contact with a gangland figure would be remote. Your anonymity is also supposedly guaranteed.

Ireland is a world away from a John Grisham novel...;)

easyeason3

dark crystal wrote: »

But I think (could be wrong) that you are procluded from any contact with the outside world after being selected.

That is, you are either on the jury bench, the deliberation room or a hotel (if the case goes on for more than a day), so the chances of coming into contact with a gangland figure would be remote. Your anonymity is also supposedly guaranteed.

Ireland is a world away from a John Grisham novel...;)

Wasn't there a gangland members girlfriend who was found with a list of names & addresses of jury members not so long ago?
I assume if you move in those circles then a list of jury names wouldn't be impossible to get.
But fcuk it, it would still be worth it.

gurramok

dark crystal wrote: »

But I think (could be wrong) that you are procluded from any contact with the outside world after being selected.

That is, you are either on the jury bench, the deliberation room or a hotel (if the case goes on for more than a day), so the chances of coming into contact with a gangland figure would be remote. Your anonymity is also supposedly guaranteed.

Ireland is a world away from a John Grisham novel...;)

The defence can access the list of the jury members, do you trust that solicitor?

As i'm from a ghettoised area, I will not serve on a jury in a gangland trial. More to life than putting your life on the line for that serious crap.

It maybe ok if you're from Dalkey though

dark crystal

easyeason3 wrote: »

Wasn't there a gangland members girlfriend who was found with a list of names & addresses of jury members not so long ago?
I assume if you move in those circles then a list of jury names wouldn't be impossible to get.
But fcuk it, it would still be worth it.

Fair play, hadn't heard about that. Your last line made me laugh, though - never underestimate the power of an Irish woman's overwhelming desire to know about someone else's business, even when faced with torture or death

gurramok wrote: »

The defence can access the list of the jury members, do you trust that solicitor?

As i'm from a ghettoised area, I will not serve on a jury in a gangland trial. More to life than putting your life on the line for that serious crap.

It maybe ok if you're from Dalkey though

I would never trust a solicitor. They are, after all, intrisically untrustworthy!
However, if you're picked, you're picked. Nothing much you can do about it.

major bill

got called before but was excempted due to my job...would love to do it though

lendmeyourear

dark crystal wrote: »

Aah, fair enough.

Just realised me asking that question could be construed as being kinda nosy and intrusive

It's just that it was drummed into us at the courthouse that this was a solemn civic duty blah blah. A few people tried to get out of it, but were told in no uncertain terms that they would need be a pretty serious reason to get out of doing it.

My mother was invited to attend and she asked where the guilty one was...anyway, she was dismissed or rejected as they say.

gurramok

dark crystal wrote: »

However, if you're picked, you're picked. Nothing much you can do about it.

Oh, there are ways you know. Be biased in the case before you are selected and you are off the hook. Pretend you are a mad case and you maybe be excused

theteal

In my mere 9 years of adulthood i have been summonsed to the central criminal court 3 times for jury duty.

-the first time i was excused when being sworn in as i had exams.
-second time was about 5 years ago i served in a murder trial.
-I got called again there in december '10 but I'm excused for 10 years since the murder trial

I'm screwed, I know i'm gonna continue to get called every few years

dark crystal

theteal wrote: »

In my mere 9 years of adulthood i have been summonsed to the central criminal court 3 times for jury duty.

-the first time i was excused when being sworn in as i had exams.
-second time was about 5 years ago i served in a murder trial.
-I got called again there in december '10 but I'm excused for 10 years since the murder trial

I'm screwed, I know i'm gonna continue to get called every few years

Out of curiosity, did you send the defendant down in the murder trial?

Captain Havoc

I had to do pre-trials for two road traffic accidents, which were held on the same day. First one was a father who accidently killed his very young daughter and the other was a motor cyclist who hit a car. We had to determine that the two had been killed in road traffic accidents, which they had.

dark crystal

Captain Havoc wrote: »

I had to do pre-trials for two road traffic accidents, which were held on the same day. First one was a father who accidently killed his very young daughter and the other was a motor cyclist who hit a car. We had to determine that the two had been killed in road traffic accidents, which they had.

That poor man (the father).

Couldn't have been easy for you having to hear some of that evidence, I'd imagine.

Captain Havoc

dark crystal wrote: »

That poor man (the father).

Couldn't have been easy for you having to hear some of that evidence, I'd imagine.

Wasn't particularly pleasing to be in the court with those families, must be the most horrible thing in the world being responsible for someone else's death, even if there's nothing you could have done to prevent it.

carm

dark crystal wrote: »

I served on a serious assault case and we ultimately found the defendant guilty. We were all pretty much in agreement, but there was one guy who was arguing in his favour. He eventually relented and all in all, the case only lasted a day. Was hard when the verdict was read out, as yer man was eying us all up menacingly, but it was definitely the right decision, given the evidence presented to us.

Has anyone here ever served on a jury and what was your experience? (Obviously, no names of anyone involved please!)

Very similar to you, first time I was called was around the time of the trial of a very famous pint-sized criminal which was thankfully deferred. Lucky as my name was first to come up for jury. Ended up on a couple of cases that week. The second one was an attack on a shop assisant where we all found him guilty and on leaving the courtroom they took him out at the same time the jury were leaving, where he shouted some crap at me (can't remember now but made me hope I didn't meet him down a dark alley).

Years later was called again, but unable to do it. Yet I know so many people who haven't been called for jury duty once.

vintac34

When called, cup your hands around your ears and keep saying WHA!!