called for jury duty

Flibble

I served a few years ago, people were being dismissed for reasons as simple as irregular public bus times & needing to travel too far or having difficulty finding childminders. There was a significant amount of dismissals, easily 1:1.5 ratio.

I served 5 days total on a jury for a guy who had beaten someone up and set a delivery van on fire. It was slow, tedious, interesting 20% of the time, and the food was absolute muck. I'm glad I did it though, was good to see how courts work.

I was called again last month for a jury pool next week but had a valid reason to excuse myself so I sent them back the little slip + proof, and they wrote back to let me off the hook. I probably would have done it again though if I could!

The high horse brigade

Got called and then selected. I think being white Irish and refusing to take the oath and asking for a declaration was a reason I was never going to be refused by the defence. I then went on to pull the short straw to become foreperson. It was an experience to say the least, I quite enjoyed it looking back. After 2 days the case was thrown out. The judge instructed us we must find the defendant not guilty as there was CCTV evidence in the defences favour that was somehow made disappear by the prison staff (the incident happened in prison).

AndrewJRenko

turdball wrote: »

Any to be honest if you have crippling social anxiety. New situations make it 10 times worse and especially been put on the spot if your name comes out.

I don't think the context of the suggestion above about getting the doctor's cert was crippling social anxiety.

AndrewJRenko

Johnny Red Cab wrote: »

Voters list.

It's mad that you get 'punished' for registering to vote like this. Surely they should be able to come up with a broader list, by combining Revenue and Social Welfare records?

tuxy

If you were called for jury duty and made it clear that you know what jury nullification is.
Would this make it more or less likely that you would actually be picked for the case?

For example the Padraig Nally case is probably the most well known case where the jury knew about jury nullification but I doubt they expressed this before being picked.

2016

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

It's mad that you get 'punished' for registering to vote like this. Surely they should be able to come up with a broader list, by combining Revenue and Social Welfare records?

Isn't it also true that the TV Licence inspectors also use the voters list?

nuac

Mod
Could we get back to being called as a juror?. Nullification is a separate issue.

El Tarangu

A friend of mine was called for jury duty for a murder case. One of potential jurors, a young fella, told the judge that he didn't think he could do it, as his mam and dad were on holidays and he needed to walk the dog(!)

The judge let him off anyway.

Turns out that the young lad had the right idea, as my friend got selected, and the murder trial ended up the longest in the history of the state, and he was stuck in court for weeks and weeks...

Collie D

Called twice.

First time I was selected for a trial (Tiger kidnapping) where I kind of knew the defendant (same area, I knew his extended family very well and he’d tried to assault my brother a few years before). I told the judge and he asked me if I thought it would affect my impartiality and I replied yes. That was me exempt. I thought the guy was an absolute scumbag but he’s still entitled to a fair trial. He was convicted and has since gone on to shoot at a Guard amongst other serious crimes.

Second time clashed with a holiday. Sent in copies of flight and hotel bookings and got a letter back to say I was exempt.

It is something I’d possibly be interested in and I do believe it’s a responsibility but just a clash of circumstances at the time. Probably unusual to get a third call.

supremenovice

I got summonsed in March. I go on holidays four days after the summons date. Will that get me dismissed? Im going to send in a copy of travel documents to them anyway. I dont see how I could sit on a jury and case be done in three days?

wiggy123

see how long case will last-judge will normally state the time frame.. decide then, if your selected for it-state your going on hols like

cudsy1

OK, in cork city anyways, you either get called for circuit (2 week commitment, by all accounds a total doss, not needed after 11am til next day, sitting around watching TV etc.) or central (1 possibly lenghty and horrible massive court case, or not needed beyond one or two days). which you are called for wasnt specified on my summons, you only find out on the day.

circuit starts 9:30 I think. They have a room of about 150 people that can be selected from for the cases that are on that day. The courtroom comes up on screen and they select a jury for that case randomly, then you go in and the solicitors decide if they want you or not... if not you just go back to be in selection for next case. This goes on until about 11 then you are free to go until the next day.

central is 10-4 maybe?

Employer just gets a letter at the end saying you were there every day once you show up in the morning and do the selection thing... once you don't get selected it's the job as you are just in for an hour or two and then off for the day. there were ppl who came for a few days and then told them they coudn't anymore and that was ok too. but you can't go some days and not others if that makes sense. you have to be there every day if you're agreeing to go.

cork city only call 16-20 panels total a year to cover both circuit and central.seems few to me.

Gazza62

Never done it, look it's very simple if you don't want to do this BS you should get a note from your doctor it worked for me first time round i'm excused indefinitely.

reni10

Anyone know how this is all working now with Covid restrictions?

Got called to serve jury duty towards end of month but now with level 3 restrictions how do they keep to maximum numbers etc?

Treppen

Got called twice but I'm a teacher (students for exams, no subs available etc.)
Both times the missus got summoned a few weeks later.

charlietheminxx

reni10 wrote: »

Anyone know how this is all working now with Covid restrictions?

Got called to serve jury duty towards end of month but now with level 3 restrictions how do they keep to maximum numbers etc?

I'd like to know this too. I was expecting it to get cancelled if we went above level 3, but doesn't look like that's the case. It's very hard to know what to expect against the backdrop of Covid.

AndrewJRenko

charlietheminxx wrote: »

I'd like to know this too. I was expecting it to get cancelled if we went above level 3, but doesn't look like that's the case. It's very hard to know what to expect against the backdrop of Covid.

Some details in this article
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/galway-woman-makes-history-as-first-deaf-person-to-deliberate-on-irish-jury-1.4370644

reni10

So according to that article jurors are spread across the court room but what about in the jury room?

Anyway no sign of it being cancelled so I will find out soon!

SweetCaliber

I was on jury duty last week, they used an empty court room for the jury to deliberate and the jury room also, same for when we were waiting to be picked we were spread out over the empty courtroom and jury room also.

For the jury stand in my courthouse it seated 6 where as the other 6 sat on the benches in the court room.

yaboya1

So would jury duty qualify as 'essential '?
Or will all juries in the four courts/central criminal courts be made up of Dublin residents for the time being?

loyatemu

yaboya1 wrote: »

So would jury duty qualify as 'essential '?
Or will all juries in the four courts/central criminal courts be made up of Dublin residents for the time being?

are they not Dublin residents anyway? How is someone from Donegal expected to serve on a jury in Dublin? I live in Wicklow and I've only ever been summoned for the court in Bray (both times when I had holidays booked so I've never actually done it).

ciaran76

I was called to Jury duty last week.

The jurors were all sat in a hotel ballroom all 2m apart.
We then had a video link to the court room and jurors were selected and brought to the Court which was 5 mins away. The judge explained the whole process quite clearly.

Then the rejected jurors returned and for the next case the jurors were selected again we could see the whole picking process and then we watched as the jurors went to the court and were sworn in.

We saw who was rejected or had excuse notes and returned to the hotel ballroom.

Also lots of security people and 1/2 Garda were present in the hotel.

yaboya1

loyatemu wrote: »

are they not Dublin residents anyway? How is someone from Donegal expected to serve on a jury in Dublin? I live in Wicklow and I've only ever been summoned for the court in Bray (both times when I had holidays booked so I've never actually done it).

No idea.
Didn't realise all counties had courts where a jury would be present. Thought that was only required in the big courts in Dublin, but obviously I'm mistaken given your experience.

yaboya1

yaboya1 wrote: »

No idea.
Didn't realise all counties had courts where a jury would be present. Thought that was only required in the big courts in Dublin, but obviously I'm mistaken given your experience.

The circuit court is known as that because it does a 'circuit' of the court area. It's where serious trials are held with a jury. Very old system but it's still what we use.

High court, special criminal and supreme court are Dublin based.

IgoPAP

Do full-time students get an automatic exemption or is it on a discretionary basis?

SweetCaliber

IgoPAP wrote: »

Do full-time students get an automatic exemption or is it on a discretionary basis?

You can still be called but can be excused if you have proof of full time education.

John_Rambo

Spent most of my life as a PAYE worker, always wanted to be called and carry out my civic duty whilst working for a company that had the capability to deal with my absence. My wife got called and found it a fascinating experience.

Eight months in to self employment and I got called. Couldn't afford the time off to do it due to tenuous fledgling retainers and had to make my excuses. A few requirements, letter from my accountant (which she happily charged me for) my CRO number and further proof of my business activity and I was excused. Hopefully when I'm further established I can attend.

gozunda

Niner leprauchan wrote: »

The circuit court is known as that because it does a 'circuit' of the court area. It's where serious trials are held with a jury. Very old system but it's still what we use.

High court, special criminal and supreme court are Dublin based.

Not so - the High Court hears personal injury and fatal injury actions in several provincial locations, (Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford, Sligo, Dundalk, Kilkenny and Ennis), at specified times during the year. In addition, the High Court sits in provincial venues to hear appeals from the Circuit Court in civil and family law matters.

The central criminal court also sits in Limerick, Sligo, Ennis, Cork and Castlebar.

charlietheminxx

Does anyone know what level the courts close at? I'm up for jury duty very shortly and I'm trying to figure out the likelihood of it going ahead.

stoneill

Why do so many people not want to do it? I had my chance and jumped at it, found it very interesting and an insight into how the courts and judicial system works.