Jury deliberations

Duffryman

Just wondering about something about the Patrick Quirke trial. Don’t know if it’s been addressed in any other thread in another forum, so sorry for duplicate posting if it has.

It’s just about the jury deliberations, and the total length of them. Widely reported that the jury took 20 hours and 39 minutes to reach a verdict, and that deliberations began last Tuesday afternoon.

If verdict was delivered at approximately lunchtime Wednesday, I reckon that’s after six days of deliberations:

Tuesday – half day
Wednesday – full day
Thursday – full day
Friday – full day
Monday – full day
Tuesday – full day
Wednesday – half day

So, that’s an average of only a little more than three and a half hours of deliberation each day. What am I missing here? What goes on the rest of the time? I’d have thought a jury might deliberate for maybe 6 hours per day (say 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and again from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.)?

judeboy101

Duffryman wrote: »

Just wondering about something about the Patrick Quirke trial. Don’t know if it’s been addressed in any other thread in another forum, so sorry for duplicate posting if it has.

It’s just about the jury deliberations, and the total length of them. Widely reported that the jury took 20 hours and 39 minutes to reach a verdict, and that deliberations began last Tuesday afternoon.

If verdict was delivered at approximately lunchtime Wednesday, I reckon that’s after six days of deliberations:

Tuesday – half day
Wednesday – full day
Thursday – full day
Friday – full day
Monday – full day
Tuesday – full day
Wednesday – half day

So, that’s an average of only a little more than three and a half hours of deliberation each day. What am I missing here? What goes on the rest of the time? I’d have thought a jury might deliberate for maybe 6 hours per day (say 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and again from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.)?

im assuming looking to see bits of evidence again, asking clarifying questions of judge etc?

Duffryman

So that wouldn't actually officially count as deliberations then, even though it involves the jury considering things, after all the evidence has been presented and they've been sent out to try reach a verdict?

I don't know. Am just wondering....

NUTLEY BOY

judeboy101 wrote: »

im assuming looking to see bits of evidence again, asking clarifying questions of judge etc?

Remembering that they can only base their verdict on the actual evidence adduced in court.

They can ask the judge for further explanations or guidance in relation to issues of law.

Duffryman

Still wondering how they 'only' clocked up 20 hours of deliberations over what I reckon to be six days?

Is it that the time seeking these explanations/guidance doesn't count as deliberation, since they're back in the courtroom to do it? i.e. it's only the time they're out by themselves in the jury room that officially counts as actual deliberation?