Jury Duty - Being sequestered?

howtolive

Hi,

Due up as a Juror in a couple months, if I'm selected, are the odds of being sequestered high or low?

If sequestered, is this usually for a night or weeks/months on end?

No qualms with doing my civic duty, just not sure how I could reasonably disappear from work for any longer than a week, and presumably, disappearing from family for weeks with no contact with no notification that I'm gone.

Any insight would be great.

Thanks.

Pro Hoc Vice

Very rare in ireland. If it happens its at the end of the trial and I only heard of it once.

NinjaTruncs

They aren't kidnapping you!! For most cases you go home in the evenings.

I've never been called, my wife has twice each time she was finished by around lunch time and didn't have to go in on the Friday (went back to work)

Not sure of the exact chances of you getting called though.

FreudianSlippers

I think that OP is maybe basing it on US films/TV shows.

howtolive

Thanks all. To be fair when searching online for sequestered jury's, it's mainly US cases that crop up in news results. Glad it doesn't happen too frequently here.

One more quick question - are juror's names read out in front of the accused?

Pro Hoc Vice

howtolive wrote: »

Thanks all. To be fair when searching online for sequestered jury's, it's mainly US cases that crop up in news results. Glad it doesn't happen too frequently here.

One more quick question - are juror's names read out in front of the accused?

The process is that the number is called you make your way to the Jury box and swear or affirm. The legal team have a copy of the names and address and profession of the jury panel.

Gatling

Do they call you months ahead of s trial or inform you that far ahead

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Bepolite

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Im gonna hazard a guess here and suggest they ask for it.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

coylemj

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

+1 I was never asked for my occupation and I served on a jury. Each day before the case resumed the registrar did a roll call of the jury so your name was called out for all to hear but I guess nobody other than court staff and the lawyers had access to my address.

Once the cases for both sides was complete we were sequestered (incl. mobile phones confiscated) and we spent a night in a hotel while considering our verdict but I believe that practice has ceased in Ireland.

howtolive wrote: »

No qualms with doing my civic duty, just not sure how I could reasonably disappear from work for any longer than a week, and presumably, disappearing from family for weeks with no contact with no notification that I'm gone.

You're watching too much TV.

Pro Hoc Vice

coylemj wrote: »

+1 I was never asked for my occupation and I served on a jury. Each day before the case resumed the registrar did a roll call of the jury so your name was called out for all to hear but I guess nobody other than court staff and the lawyers had access to my address.

Once the cases for both sides was complete we were sequestered (incl. mobile phones confiscated) and we spent a night in a hotel while considering our verdict but I believe that practice has ceased in Ireland.



You're watching too much TV.

All I can say is having seen in one circuit the lists given to the legal teams of the jury panel it contained name address and occupation if know.

johnnyskeleton

coylemj wrote: »

Once the cases for both sides was complete we were sequestered (incl. mobile phones confiscated) and we spent a night in a hotel while considering our verdict but I believe that practice has ceased in Ireland.

Correct. Became optional in 2008, in the rather confusing civil law miscellaneous provisions act, and since then i dont think the courts service have the budget for it anymore.

howtolive

Hi All,

Thanks for the feedback, and apologies for the delay. Fingers crossed then I'll just be able to go home in the evenings if called!

Gatling

howtolive wrote: »

Hi All,

Thanks for the feedback, and apologies for the delay. Fingers crossed then I'll just be able to go home in the evenings if called!

How did you know you were due to be called

Phoebas

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Its on the form you fill in when you confirm your jury summons.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

howtolive

Gatling wrote: »

How did you know you were due to be called

Hi,

I mean if I'm selected as juror while attending the court

howtolive

Have this coming up shortly, any recent experiences that would be useful? General length of the more grisly cases (1 week, several?), no one been sequestered recently? are jurors typically threatened by the accused/witnesses, etc?

Thanks.

kennM

howtolive wrote: »

Have this coming up shortly, any recent experiences that would be useful? General length of the more grisly cases (1 week, several?), no one been sequestered recently? are jurors typically threatened by the accused/witnesses, etc?

Thanks.

Hopefully might be able to help a little here....

Did jury service in central criminal courts there last year. I presume it's central criminal court in Dublin?

I'll give you my story as much as possible. Arrived in on day 1, Monday. There are two "jury rooms".... basically large rooms that seat probably 70/80 people a piece or so. 3/4 big screens in each room. They usually have Ireland AM on or something akin to that. The only people with access to the room are perspective jurors and jury minders.... nobody else allowed into these rooms.

Screens switch to judges once juries are being empanelled. The judge will read out the indictment, the defendant, the list of witnesses & gardai etc. If you know any of the people involved you can flag it to the judge and you will be excused from that trial. Court clerk essentially picks out 15 or so names out randomly, based on all perspective jurors in room. Jury minder then takes you up to the court room. The prosecution and defence have up to 7? (If I recall correctly) no reason challenges to a perspective juror.

Generally the right hand room on a Monday is high court criminal cases. The first one up was a murder. There was a huge range of cases. Murder, rape, sexual assault, possession with intent to supply, dangerous driving, theft right down to petty theft.

I was called up to three trials. First two was objected to. No idea why, they don't have to give a reason. From what I could see the prosecution and defence have a list of jurors & occupations I believe. I'm sure prosecution/defence want different profiles of people for different trials etc.

Personally I was in on Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs and empanelled on the last trial on Thurs. Brought in for circa 9.45 and leave by lunch time on empanelling days.

I was empanelled on the third trial I was called up to. Trial went on for about 3 weeks. Wasn't sequestered. I believe it's very unusual. Had no interactions with anyone from prosecution or defence either during or after trial. Once you're on a jury the ONLY interactions you have are with your fellow jurors and your jury handler. All rooms, corridors, facilities etc. that you access in the criminal courts are for juries ONLY. And you typically don't come across anyone other than your own jury. Separate canteen for juries and all 12 jurors sit at the one table.... several tables, one for each sitting jury and separate from one another.

Hope this helps...

coylemj

Above post very interesting. A few years ago and prior to the new building opening, I was on a jury in the Four Courts, we used to be marched like a class of schoolkids with our Garda minder over to the Brazen Head for lunch in an upstairs dining room. The twelve of us sat together at a big table with other juries all sitting together at separate tables and all of the Garda minders sat together at a smaller table. We did more or less mix with the other juries downstairs in the yard when we went for a smoke but otherwise we were kept apart from everyone else. We were sequestered (as was the procedure at the time) after all of the evidence was completed and we spent a night in the Spa Hotel outside Lucan. When we were sitting in the bar after dinner we were in small groups of three or four with two or three Garda minders sitting together at a separate table and keeping an eye on us. Now and again someone would recognise one of us and come over to say hello whereupon one of the Garda minders would discreetly ask them to leave us alone.

howtolive

Hi all, thanks for the replies, very interesting differences, maybe the switch to the newer court building brought new ways of doing things. At least for the sequestered jury, it was for one night not the whole trial. Are there different coloured summons notices depending on the level of trial you could be selected for? Green/red/yellow? Thanks

howtolive

Another quick question - if several trials are due up before a Judge on any one day, does this mean that one could take a half day each day and the other another half? e.g. if selected for one trial, you'd be asked to appear every afternoon rather than day in full, meaning I could go to work for whichever part of the day wasn't taken up by the trial?

kennM

howtolive wrote: »

Hi all, thanks for the replies, very interesting differences, maybe the switch to the newer court building brought new ways of doing things. At least for the sequestered jury, it was for one night not the whole trial. Are there different coloured summons notices depending on the level of trial you could be selected for? Green/red/yellow? Thanks

Colour of sheet doesn't make a difference. When I was there one colour for right hand room (which empanelled high court and circuit court trials), other colour was circuit only I think.

Once the perspective panels were dwindling from both rooms they brought us all together. Colour doesn't make much of a difference.

kennM

howtolive wrote: »

Another quick question - if several trials are due up before a Judge on any one day, does this mean that one could take a half day each day and the other another half? e.g. if selected for one trial, you'd be asked to appear every afternoon rather than day in full, meaning I could go to work for whichever part of the day wasn't taken up by the trial?

I have to say you are optimistic with how quick the legal system works. You are typically empanelled for one trial. As part of the initial aspects (after reading indictments etc.) the counsel will estimate how long the trial may take. Be warned, this is what it says.... an estimate. The trial I was on a jury for was estimated at 2 to 3 days, it took just shy of 3 weeks.

You are certed off work and you are legally protected accordingly under the jurys act

howtolive

Hey thanks so much! Ah I know that unfortunately trials can last a long time, I more meant that if two trials are up in front of the same Judge on a day (for however long it takes to resolve each), will one jury be only asked to attend the courts for the duration of the trial they are empanelled on each day (e.g. every morning for 3 weeks), or would they have to stick around 10ish - 4.30 each day?

HeidiHeidi

howtolive wrote: »

Hey thanks so much! Ah I know that unfortunately trials can last a long time, I more meant that if two trials are up in front of the same Judge on a day (for however long it takes to resolve each), will one jury be only asked to attend the courts for the duration of the trial they are empanelled on each day (e.g. every morning for 3 weeks), or would they have to stick around 10ish - 4.30 each day?

A judge only has one trial at a time, and it will be for full days until it's finished.

howtolive

Ah I see, looking at the Legal Diary section of the Courts website, certain days can have more than one trial before a Judge. I guess they must simply assign cases to other Judges in that case so each is left with one.

kennM

howtolive wrote: »

Ah I see, looking at the Legal Diary section of the Courts website, certain days can have more than one trial before a Judge. I guess they must simply assign cases to other Judges in that case so each is left with one.

You have it there. The judge who empannels the jury may not be the presiding judge over the trial. Basically the number of trials that will be heard will depend on how many judges are available and what "jurisdiction" (probably wrong term) the have.... e.g. circuit court or high court.

Inmyownworld

Fred Swanson wrote: »

How would they have this information?

Your name is pulled from the register of electors to serve on a jury. Would your profession be on that?

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

coylemj

Inmyownworld wrote: »

Your name is pulled from the register of electors to serve on a jury. Would your profession be on that?

No, and I don't remember being asked to declare my occupation in public when I and the other prospective jurors were assembled. Do you get a form with the jury summons and do you have to fill out some data about yourself and send it back before the date you're summonsed for? That's the only way I can see that they'd have had my occupation by the time I was being empanelled.

meathstevie

Certain occupations exclude you from jury duty, that's why you will be asked.

Don't worry about work, an employer is under legal obligation to facilitate your jury duty and is forbidden to deal with it as an absence. Just the same as you are legally obliged to do your duty in the administration of justice.

As for being sequestered, it seldom happens that a jury in an Irish trial is "quarantined" for any prolonged amount of time. What is likely to happen is that the jury can be excused but told not to disappear from the jury room when both legal teams and the judge discuss finer procedural points of law that have no impact on questions of innocence or guilt.

As for intimidation, that's exactly why the non jury Special Criminal Court was created. To deal with cases involving organised groups of people with a considerable capacity for organised violence and intimidation.

Carawaystick

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

A judge only has one trial at a time, and it will be for full days until it's finished.

for varying values of "full day", hardly a 9to5....

coylemj

meathstevie wrote: »

Certain occupations exclude you from jury duty, that's why you will be asked.

Asked what and when?

I don't recall being asked anything about my occupation. The jury summons made it clear that certain occupations were excluded and other were excusable but I don't remember anyone explicitly asking me to state my occupation.

So can someone please tell us when they ask you for your occupation, it's not on the electoral register.

Pro Hoc Vice

coylemj wrote: »

Asked what and when?

I don't recall being asked anything about my occupation. The jury summons made it clear that certain occupations were excluded and other were excusable but I don't remember anyone explicitly asking me to state my occupation.

So can someone please tell us when they ask you for your occupation, it's not on the electoral register.

It depends on the circuit I know that at least one circuit asks for those on the panel to fill in a form and it gives occupation. It is my understanding that not all circuits do so.

p2p2p

coylemj wrote: »

Asked what and when?

I don't recall being asked anything about my occupation. The jury summons made it clear that certain occupations were excluded and other were excusable but I don't remember anyone explicitly asking me to state my occupation.

So can someone please tell us when they ask you for your occupation, it's not on the electoral register.

There is a box on the form that you send back, notifying them of your availability, that clearly states occupation.
That's where they get it from!