Would you have any objection to doing jury duty?

SafeSurfer

Im not sure how I would feel if I got called to jury duty. Right now it would be a pain in the arse to get away for a case lasting an hour. But if I was retired I wouldnt mind being called for a nice long trial with plenty of overnights to decide at the end. So would you go if you were called or would you try to get out of it?

Rodin

I'd have an objection to being judged by a jury of my 'peers'

Sauve

Id be far too biased to trust myself with something like that I think.
Depends on the case obviously.

Mickey H

Not at all. Lock and load. Denny Crane!!

franktheplank

I dunno, I'd hate to spend a day around all those nasty, immoral, conniving degenerates.

But enough about the lawyers.....

KKkitty

I wouldn't like to do it but they only ask you to do it once don't they?

Praetorian Saighdiuir

I'd love to do it but am inelligible.

McDermotX

Aw, jury duty? I'll see that Quimby kid hanged for this.

4zn76tysfajdxp

Like Sauve, I'd find myself GUILTY of bias.

jenniferalan

benwavner wrote: »

I'd love to do it but am inelligible.

Why?

Where To

I'd love to do it, I'm very judgmental.

starviewadams

No,as long as I actually get picked for a case!

Last time I was called,3 out of the 5 days everyone turned up only to be told nobody was needed.

Rest of the time was spent just sitting around watching Sky News waiting for the judge to come on the telly and pick people.

Ann22

I was called 3 times, my oh says he'd love to do it but he was never called. The first time, I knew someone who could get me out of it, the 2nd time, there was no need for the jury on any of the days.The third time however I was called, I was one of the 12 names called out of about 200. I was pure sweatin'!

There was a multitude of folk hanging over the balcony watching what was going on and the courtroom was packed. I was shaking in my boots...dunno why really. I whispered to your man with the bible that I would be biased 'cos I knew the families involved (I knew one of the families but only by name), he seemed very impatient with me, told me I had to tell the judge. The judge btw was a mile away across the room and I had to yell at him that I knew the defendant's family. The fella in the dock stared at me with a big question mark over his head.

Boy was I glad to get out of it. You see, I struggle to keep my attention on stuff..like tv progs I keep drifting off thinking about something that's been said or done, meanwhile, loads of stuff happens and I miss it. I couldn't possibly trust myself to listen intently and take everything in.

My friend was called once for a rape case, it was very stressful, she spent hours with the other jurors in a little hot stuffy room. They had to find the defendant not guilty. Turns out the girl was bullshítting, poor chap.

DazMarz

I'LL SEE THAT QUIMBY KID HANG FOR THIS!!!

looksee

I was called for jury duty, and the defendant's lawyers sorted out the potential jurors and eliminated the ones they didn't like the look of. The defendant was a young guy in his early 20s and the lawyers rejected me instantly, obviously thinking that an older woman wasn't going to be sympathetic to him.

That was a pity for him as I was teaching people his age and had no prejudice against him and am now not nearly as judgmental as when I was younger.

At the same time I was happy enough to be relieved of the responsibility of making that kind of decision.

Scruffles

benwavner wrote: »

I'd love to do it but am inelligible.

same here,due to disabilities,am not even sure woud even be on the list for it any way because of the services am in.


it sounds interesting if its helping justice, but most people have known who have done it ended up never actualy getting called on the jury they still had to hang around there all day for several weeks,although they got their dinners and money paid back for a weekly bus ticket on each week,and if remember correctly they all got their wages paid to.

if people get themselves a good hotel stay out of it,fair play.
have read the exemption list for jury duty over here and it doesnt seem fair that theyre excluding people who have been in jail years ago,how does that necesarily make someone less likely to be unbiased and take part in justice?
people who dont understand english are on the list to,what about the use of translators?

Max Power

Depends on the timing of it really. If you don't want to do it just take yourself off the electoral register.

If your bored some day, go to your local court house for the day. Free entertainment!

Praetorian Saighdiuir

jenniferalan wrote: »

Why?

Because of work.

minidazzler

Scruffles wrote: »

same here,due to disabilities,am not even sure woud even be on the list for it any way because of the services am in.

it sounds interesting if its helping justice, but most people have known who have done it ended up never actualy getting called on the jury they still had to hang around there all day for several weeks,although they got their dinners and money paid back for a weekly bus ticket on each week,and if remember correctly they all got their wages paid to.

if people get themselves a good hotel stay out of it,fair play.
have read the exemption list for jury duty over here and it doesnt seem fair that theyre excluding people who have been in jail years ago,how does that necesarily make someone less likely to be unbiased and take part in justice?
people who dont understand english are on the list to,what about the use of translators?

If people have been in jail chances are they hated it giving them a few options two of which are they could be bitter about it and find him not guilty just because they don't like cops, or they could want to fcuk someone else over like they were. They could be unbiased, but it's a big risk to take.

And RE: Translators, are you really thinking clearly, you'd need translators for the entire case, then for the deliberations, and that's an extra person in the room which shouldn't be.

I'd do it, and I'd be very unbiased about the people involved. But probably not so much about the crimes committed, if it's say Possession of Marijuana with intent, I couldn't find someone guilty because I find that it being illegal to but, sell and possess Marijuana is an unjust law.

Truncheon Rouge

I dont know that I could be impartial.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94zkBGm1IoU

OneArt

I'd be afraid that if the person gets convicted they'd want to get their revenge when they got out.

Then again I don't live in any countries where I have to do jury duty, so I think I'm safe. For now...

Cookie_Monster

Where To wrote: »

I'd love to do it, I'm very judgmental.

on the one hand this, but at the same time if it was a really serious case, like murder and you sit there and find them guilty and then the judge turns around and only gives them a 2 year suspended sentence I imagine it'd feel pretty disillusioned and **** about it

Markcheese

KKkitty wrote: »

I wouldn't like to do it but they only ask you to do it once don't they?

Nope , but if it's a rough case the judge can excuse you from future duty ....
I don't think I could afford it ...

The Big Red Button

Would love to do it. Was only called once, and I couldn't get off work for it.

Sunnyisland

I would love to do it, havent been called yet.

mikemac1

I don't think our constituency even has a circuit court

Those cases are held in the county beside us

So pretty much zero chance of ever being called. Am registered to vote but sure if all the serious cases go to the next county or up to Dublin they won't ever need me

BrensBenz

I've been called twice - my boss got me out of one call-up because (apparently) I was "essential to the smooth running of our company". He put that in writing so I used it at my next payrise session.
I can't disclose details of the case I sat through but I was Henry Fonda to eleven others who thought "maybe the two guards started the fight", (which resulted in their hospitalisation), with nine members of the then little-known family gang of drug dealers who were either killed or jailed in later years.
I know they have their bad apples but, ever since that case, my respect for the Guards has been much higher than before. We don't often hear the details of the abuse they get while trying to protect the public.
While I can recommend jury duty, I can't say the same for the food served at the Four Courts. Huge culchie plates of warm, fatty bacon and cabbage with partially cooked spuds.....on both days!

CruelCoin

Not sure.

Maybe i'm poisoned by tv, but i'm not particularly happy the the idea of jailed scumbags buddies coming looking for me.

OldGoat

I was foreman in two cases. Brilliant experience and one I'd do again if called. Be it a tedious or dramatic case just seeing the inner workings of the judical system is an eyeopener.
It's (usually) a once in a lifetime chance to be involved and I can't understand why people would not take that opportunity.

TwoShedsJackson

I would do it if the timing was right.

The whole 'civic duty' or 'legal obligation' doesn't come in to it anywhere, does it?

i71jskz5xu42pb

There are ways out ...

Be a smart arse
https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/275990008274485248

Object on scientific grounds
https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/276475969655685120
https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/276476654585520128

smash

Jury Duty? but I'm prejudice against everyone!

smash

smash wrote: »

Jury Duty? but I'm prejudice against everyone!

I'm very disappointment in you:(

I got called once but had no transport to the place and work signed me off it.
Suppose it would be ok. You'd hate to be involved in a criminal yoke where they threaten to track you down or something though

Frank Black

I'd love to be selected for jury duty, and I'd probably vote 'guilty'.

Dravokivich

Been called up to be on a panel twice, got an exception to not be present the second time as I already had plans to be out of the country during the period of service.

First time I was up was handy enough. Sat around in there for a few mornings waiting to be called up to a case. Something most people don't seem to realise is that you are due to show up for selection throughout the week if you aren't called for a case on each day. Once you are called for a case, you can't be called for another, so if a solicitor or barrister challenges your presence, you aren't required to show up for the rest of the week.

Just as an addition to Sauve's and Frada's joking above about being bias to most things, if you actually tried that in court you can be done for some sort of contempt thing. Someone is already up being caught for pricking about so there's no time to waste on others who do it when called for jury service.

Was called for jury duty recently - first day was very interesting, lots of people there, lots of cases being called, lots of excuses being made, guards hanging around to give evidence, lads pleading guilty, missing lawyers, missing defendants, lads pleading not guilty and then changing their mind ten minuees later after a stern talking to from their barrister. In the end only one case went to trial and I wasn't picked for it.

Had to go back the following week - a very different atmosphere, only one very nasty case, journalists there, lots of excuses from potential jurors to get off the panel. It took three rounds of drawing names from the hat to get a full jury. Thankfully I wasn't called. The trial took three weeks.

NamelessPhil

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

on the one hand this, but at the same time if it was a really serious case, like murder and you sit there and find them guilty and then the judge turns around and only gives them a 2 year suspended sentence I imagine it'd feel pretty disillusioned and **** about it

Murder carries a mandatory life sentence in this country, so the judge won't be giving them just two years.:rolleyes:

The Courts Service has a whole section on its website about jury service.

When your name is called and if one side makes an objection to you serving on the jury you may not find out the reason.

If you are called and you know that you won't be available to serve please let the judge/registrar know. It usually has taken quite some time for a case to come to trial and the last thing a judge wants is a juror withdrawing a few days into a case because they have an appointment elsewhere.

If you are called and you are not comfortable with serving on that jury, either because of the nature of the trial or because you know one of the parties, please let the judge/registrar know because nobody wants a reluctant/biased juror.

Also you may be required to stay on the jury panel even if you're rejected for a trial. The registrar will let you know whats happening.

You should be paid by your employer for jury duty and some house insurance policies allow you to claim for jury duty.

Deise Vu

I spent two weeks of my life that I will never get back attending the local court watching the hilarious farce that is the 'majesty of the law' at work. Every day at least 200 of us detained for 2 hours (the equivalent of over 2 years working time for one man) watching tatooed cretins being brought in for assaults that all happened at least two or three years previously. 3 years for an investigation and book of evidence for assault!! Being local I either knew the morons or had heard plenty about them, all still merrily assaulting away to their little heart's content in the meantime and half the cases thrown out because of procedural errors or witnesses not showing up.

The crowning farce was one morning we were extra delayed because, after selecting the Jury one of the bewigged gentlemen stood up and said he needed to be in another court and could he have his postponement. After a bit of legal argy bargy he was told the case would be heard the following Monday so we had to select another bloody jury. On the Monday the barrister stood up and informed the Judge the defendant hadn't turned up! Cue gasps from the assembled hoi polloi as we waited for the judge to explode and elite swat teams to begin abseiling from the roof for the manhunt. The judge shrugged his shoulders and said 'well I suppose we can't hear it so, what's the next case?'.

Contrast that with his attitude to the good men and true. If your name was called out and you weren't there the Judge slapped an immediate €50 fine on you. At a rate of about 10 a day. The last few days were hilarious when the court clerk would bark the order to 'rise' and we were all meant to wait for the judge to leave like a priest at mass. Once the jury was selected people just got up and fcuked off, muttering all the way out the door. Majesty of the law me hole.

listermint

poll needs more options

Generally polls with only 2 actual options are ridiculous in nature.

This poll is no different.

OldGoat

Should we have a new poll?
Yes
No
Atari Jaguar

Dravokivich

Don't really bother with polls in AH any more as what are meant to be different options are just stretched out explanations of the same thing. Which you can see here.

The only valid option is Atari Jaguar and that's meant to be an invalid option!

ruthloss

Markcheese wrote: »

Nope , but if it's a rough case the judge can excuse you from future duty ....
I don't think I could afford it ...

I have done it twice in 6 years.
(was picked and then was objected to by the defence)

gahsux

I would advise anyone summoned for jury duty to attend. The 'get out of it' attitude sickens me.
I was called for duty and picked twice over the last 10 years and although it was disruptive to my personal and work life, I found it an insightful experience. Beforehand, I had no experience of the law system and had a narcissistic view of it in general. I don't know much more of it now, but at least my mind is more open. I found the mechanisms of the court and how jury members came to decisions quite interesting.

It seems to me that there are many theatres of life, be they: Law, Politics, Healthcare where people hold negative preconceptions of without knowing why and how they operate. While in the courthouse, I saw groups of school children (teenagers) in the public galleries who were obviously part of a tour. I thought this was a great idea and would like to see it expanded in general to the other areas I mentioned above.