Jury Duty

murphydublin · 17-05-2017 08:08PM #1

Hey

I have been summoned to serve on a jury soon and not sure how I feel about it.

I've served before and found the whole process quite fascinating. We were made exempt for 10 years after the case and literally the same month 10 years later the letter arrives.

Now I'm older I fear being called for a case involving rape or kids which would be horrific to have to sit through. Or any type of gangland **** which could put my safety or family at risk.

and on top of all that I've to pay to park all day in town for up to two weeks !

Have you been called ? Did you serve?

Dr Crayfish · 17-05-2017 08:14PM

I was called last sept and kicked off the jury on the first day as one of the junior counsel claimed she had met me at a party. Massive case. It was really surreal having all those eyes on you as you swear in etc, the central crim court is pretty tight you're right in the thick of it.

Doltanian · 17-05-2017 08:16PM

I got called earlier this year but as my luck would have it I was away abroad at the time. I called up the court and explained my situation and they just said send in a letter and you'll be excused. Never heard from them since. My understanding is there is no pay or compensation either.

beertons · 17-05-2017 08:18PM

You could say you recognise one if the witnesses. Got me out of one anyway.

SEPT 23 1989 · 17-05-2017 08:20PM

Self employed so no

Doltanian · 17-05-2017 08:29PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue8jpSlwGPY

17-05-2017 08:51PM

Was called once a few years back. Wasn't selected. My sister warned me if you don't want to be picked then dress like a thug. I duly obliged.

But basically they just cram 50+ people into a tiny space, and then draw your name from a hat at random. You then enter the juror's seating area, and as you do either the prosecution or the defence will say to the judge "objection on behalf of the prosecution (or) defence". And that's the end of it. No further questions, and no explanations. If you happen to be personally acquainted with either the arresting guard or the accused you need to point this out to the judge when your name is drawn, which then excuses you.

Oh yeah, was a smoker at the time so stepped out for a fag during a break. Witnessed with my own two eyes not six feet away from me the defence solicitor having a conversation with the accused and his mother where he more or less said (and I'm only paraphrasing slightly!) "Your son is bit of a scumbag. He's guilty. He did it. If he just changes his plea and stops wasting everyone's time and money the judge and jury might go a bit easier on him"

Seriously, a frank admission of guilt by the defence right in front of a potential juror was absolutely horrifying. I mean I have no sympathy for the criminals here, but what happens if a person turns out to be innocent?

Liam McPoyle · 17-05-2017 09:33PM

I'll see that Quimby kid hang for this!

Donald Trump · 17-05-2017 09:35PM

And miss your opportunity to give a speech like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvZ2xRxdOWI

Donald Trump · 17-05-2017 09:38PM

You could always try the Sarah Silverman line if you want to get off Jury Duty but don't want to come across as a bad person

Edit: Found it :-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTHeoE1pPL4

RayM · 17-05-2017 09:41PM

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

Outlaw Pete · 17-05-2017 09:55PM

That's a damn stupid thing to do!

pgj2015 · 17-05-2017 09:58PM

its probably just some black kid who is being accused of stealing a bun and you are going to set him free.

milehip · 17-05-2017 10:14PM

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

That's a damn stupid thing to do!

What's a dam stupid thing to do now exactly?

zoe 3619 · 17-05-2017 10:18PM

pgj2015 wrote: »

its probably just some black kid who is being accused of stealing a bun and you are going to set him free.

?

mynamejeff · 17-05-2017 10:29PM

AAAAwww the jury system

where a complex legal case is decided by 12 people who were too stupid to get out of jury duty ..............

Outlaw Pete · 18-05-2017 01:05AM

milehip wrote: »

What's a dam stupid thing to do now exactly?

To roll up bits of paper and throw them at a fan.

amtc · 18-05-2017 01:48AM

I'm exempt for life. Served on a rape case. Boy was 17, girl was 16. We couldn't reach a verdict and was retried. It wasn't reported so to this day have no idea how it worked out.

I have two very distinct memories

...we spent overnight in the mater as one of the jurors fell out of the jury box and broke her leg but because we were all sequestered we all had to go on the trip to the hospital as there was a shortage of guards. We had no money to buy tea or coffee and had to be accompanied one by one to an atm by a guard.

..I ended up going out with one of the fellow jurors for some years!

Mark25 · 18-05-2017 04:00AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Was called once a few years back. Wasn't selected. My sister warned me if you don't want to be picked then dress like a thug. I duly obliged.

But basically they just cram 50+ people into a tiny space, and then draw your name from a hat at random. You then enter the juror's seating area, and as you do either the prosecution or the defence will say to the judge "objection on behalf of the prosecution (or) defence". And that's the end of it. No further questions, and no explanations. If you happen to be personally acquainted with either the arresting guard or the accused you need to point this out to the judge when your name is drawn, which then excuses you.

Oh yeah, was a smoker at the time so stepped out for a fag during a break. Witnessed with my own two eyes not six feet away from me the defence solicitor having a conversation with the accused and his mother where he more or less said (and I'm only paraphrasing slightly!) "Your son is bit of a scumbag. He's guilty. He did it. If he just changes his plea and stops wasting everyone's time and money the judge and jury might go a bit easier on him"

Seriously, a frank admission of guilt by the defence right in front of a potential juror was absolutely horrifying. I mean I have no sympathy for the criminals here, but what happens if a person turns out to be innocent?

Weird that they would say that - i thought solicitors had to excuse themselves if they knew/thought that you were guilty.

Got called for jury duty last year but didn't hae to serve as I was disqualified for having been in prison myself. Got wondering how they would have checked those things if I had said nothing and just turned up.

I was up before a jury n 2013 and always wondered how they made their decision. I was looking at them during the trial and didn't know what they were thinking. I got found guilty by them in the end but it's strange to think they have such power over your life.

18-05-2017 06:42AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Was called once a few years back. Wasn't selected. My sister warned me if you don't want to be picked then dress like a thug. I duly obliged.

Depends on the case.

Thugs might be great jurors for the accused in crimes involving property, when prim shopkeepers are bad.

On the other hand, in a rape case, the prim shopkeeper might disapprove of the victim wearing a short skirt and getting hammered while the thug might think "I did wild things but I was never so bad that I raped a woman, he's sick".

There are no hard and fast lines.

Erik Shin · 18-05-2017 06:50AM

Mark25 wrote: »

Weird that they would say that - i thought solicitors had to excuse themselves if they knew/thought that you were guilty.

Got called for jury duty last year but didn't hae to serve as I was disqualified for having been in prison myself. Got wondering how they would have checked those things if I had said nothing and just turned up.

I was up before a jury n 2013 and always wondered how they made their decision. I was looking at them during the trial and didn't know what they were thinking. I got found guilty by them in the end but it's strange to think they have such power over your life.

Any good solicitor would know if you're were guilty or not, would go towards the case the barrister presents in court ...if he doesn't know the truth, it could go very badly for his client

tomwaterford · 18-05-2017 07:23AM

I imagine it would be very boring and i guess youd not be allowed use your phone/wifi during the day??

Know a lad who got a doctor to write him a note saying he had bad nevres to get outta it years ago

Will I Am Not · 18-05-2017 07:38AM

I seen posters around my town recently that said 'stop jury duty discrimination', didn't get to read the full thing.
Is there discrimination in the selection process?

18-05-2017 07:42AM

Got picked to serve on a jury. Was a case of a scumbag fighting two other scumbags. Ended up being thrown out on the first day because the victim refused to give evidence, claiming that he suddenly couldn't remember what happened, much to the surprise and annoyance of the solicitors and judge.

Judge was forced to throw it out, because it was dependant on the testimony, but his closing remarks were that he was sure it won't be the last time they'll be back before the judge.

Doltanian wrote: »

I got called earlier this year but as my luck would have it I was away abroad at the time. I called up the court and explained my situation and they just said send in a letter and you'll be excused. Never heard from them since. My understanding is there is no pay or compensation either.

There is no pay or compensation, but your employer has to pay you your wages while you're doing it. Sucks if you're self employed, obviously.

Winterlong · 18-05-2017 09:39AM

I have never been called. They use the electoral register - right?

I would be interested in serving. Just to see how the whole thing works, and to do my civil duty and get the scumbags locked up.

Hector Savage · 18-05-2017 10:25AM

I was only called once - when I was in college, I just got a note from the college.

cython · 18-05-2017 10:35AM

Was called earlier this year, wasn't selected the second day, had to go back a week later for another selection and got selected then. It was an assault case, and midway through the first witness we were dismissed for one of the jurors knowing the victim's family, and only announcing it when we got back to the jury room, rather than passing a note to the foreman in the courtroom (because of it happening outside the court, there was no way of knowing whether or not something would have been said that could have coloured the rest of the jury's opinions of the parties involved).

RiderOnTheStorm · 18-05-2017 11:38AM

I got called a couple of years ago. I was between jobs so didn't have issue getting out of work. I went along and sat in room with approx 50 ppl. None of us were called as both cases that day pleaded guilty. The judge gave nice talk to us at the end, telling us not to think that we did nothing, and that sometimes the accused see 50 people ready to judge him and they can change their plea, which did happen that day.

I would go again.

Wouldn't like to be on a big gang case however. Wouldn't feel safe.

ohnonotgmail · 18-05-2017 12:18PM

RiderOnTheStorm wrote: »

I got called a couple of years ago. I was between jobs so didn't have issue getting out of work. I went along and sat in room with approx 50 ppl. None of us were called as both cases that day pleaded guilty. The judge gave nice talk to us at the end, telling us not to think that we did nothing, and that sometimes the accused see 50 people ready to judge him and they can change their plea, which did happen that day.

I would go again.

Wouldn't like to be on a big gang case however. Wouldn't feel safe.

Gangland cases dont go before a jury. they are tried in the special criminal court in front of 3 judges.

GBX · 18-05-2017 12:22PM

I'm due on it soon. Can I go in and say "I know that bloke over there from Boards.ie" and get sent away?

C Montgomery Gurns II · 18-05-2017 08:14PM

It always baffles me how in Ireland, a country far more obsessed with crime stories than any other, people run a mile when they get a jury summons. Few weeks paid leave from work for something topical off the news, I'd love it.

Jury Duty

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