Jury Duty

dark crystal · 05-02-2011 12:57AM

It does make you wonder, if you knew the past history of the defendants, would there be a much higher conviction rate.

For instance, I know many of the jury who sat on the O.J Simpson trial were shocked at the amount of evidence that was deemed inadmissable at the trial. Many of them would have changed their plea, had they been privy to it.

I guess you can only judge on the bare facts put in front of you at the time. However, you do get a sense of the person you are judging and no matter how many times the judge directs you to decide just on the facts alone, the defendant can give so much away by their general demeanour.

AckwelFoley · 05-02-2011 01:11AM

hondasam wrote: »

would you feel bad having to decide on someone's freedom ?

could you just walk away and forget about it?

Joking aside - i wouldn't have a problem

Someones freedom is decided by their own actions.

Its up to the Jury to decide if there case proves innocence or guilt

hondasam · 05-02-2011 01:13AM

snyper wrote: »

Joking aside - i wouldn't have a problem

Someones freedom is decided by their own actions.

Its up to the Jury to decide if there case proves innocence or guilt

what if you made the wrong decision or others persuaded you. I would hate to be undecided. If it was clear cut it would be easy.

AckwelFoley · 05-02-2011 01:15AM

hondasam wrote: »

what if you made the wrong decision or others persuaded you. I would hate to be undecided. If it was clear cut it would be easy.

Well, thats why there is more than one person on a jury..

gurramok · 05-02-2011 01:17AM

You'd only be called for jury duty if your name is on the electoral register(yeh antiquated system)
Have never been called yet but i've heard colleagues dreading been called. I'd love to be called for so to experience it but then again intimidation of juries in serious gangland style cases would put me off.

Sparks43 · 05-02-2011 01:18AM

Cant be selected myself as i would be prejudicial towards all Boards Mods

dark crystal · 05-02-2011 01:25AM

gurramok wrote: »

You'd only be called for jury duty if your name is on the electoral register(yeh antiquated system)
Have never been called yet but i've heard colleagues dreading been called. I'd love to be called for so to experience it but then again intimidation of juries in serious gangland style cases would put me off.

But I think (could be wrong) that you are procluded from any contact with the outside world after being selected.

That is, you are either on the jury bench, the deliberation room or a hotel (if the case goes on for more than a day), so the chances of coming into contact with a gangland figure would be remote. Your anonymity is also supposedly guaranteed.

Ireland is a world away from a John Grisham novel...;)

easyeason3 · 05-02-2011 01:29AM

dark crystal wrote: »

But I think (could be wrong) that you are procluded from any contact with the outside world after being selected.

That is, you are either on the jury bench, the deliberation room or a hotel (if the case goes on for more than a day), so the chances of coming into contact with a gangland figure would be remote. Your anonymity is also supposedly guaranteed.

Ireland is a world away from a John Grisham novel...;)

Wasn't there a gangland members girlfriend who was found with a list of names & addresses of jury members not so long ago?
I assume if you move in those circles then a list of jury names wouldn't be impossible to get.
But fcuk it, it would still be worth it.

gurramok · 05-02-2011 01:32AM

dark crystal wrote: »

But I think (could be wrong) that you are procluded from any contact with the outside world after being selected.

That is, you are either on the jury bench, the deliberation room or a hotel (if the case goes on for more than a day), so the chances of coming into contact with a gangland figure would be remote. Your anonymity is also supposedly guaranteed.

Ireland is a world away from a John Grisham novel...;)

The defence can access the list of the jury members, do you trust that solicitor?

As i'm from a ghettoised area, I will not serve on a jury in a gangland trial. More to life than putting your life on the line for that serious crap.

It maybe ok if you're from Dalkey though

dark crystal · 05-02-2011 01:40AM

easyeason3 wrote: »

Wasn't there a gangland members girlfriend who was found with a list of names & addresses of jury members not so long ago?
I assume if you move in those circles then a list of jury names wouldn't be impossible to get.
But fcuk it, it would still be worth it.

Fair play, hadn't heard about that. Your last line made me laugh, though - never underestimate the power of an Irish woman's overwhelming desire to know about someone else's business, even when faced with torture or death

gurramok wrote: »

The defence can access the list of the jury members, do you trust that solicitor?

As i'm from a ghettoised area, I will not serve on a jury in a gangland trial. More to life than putting your life on the line for that serious crap.

It maybe ok if you're from Dalkey though

I would never trust a solicitor. They are, after all, intrisically untrustworthy!
However, if you're picked, you're picked. Nothing much you can do about it.

major bill · 05-02-2011 01:43AM

got called before but was excempted due to my job...would love to do it though

lendmeyourear · 05-02-2011 01:44AM

dark crystal wrote: »

Aah, fair enough.

Just realised me asking that question could be construed as being kinda nosy and intrusive

It's just that it was drummed into us at the courthouse that this was a solemn civic duty blah blah. A few people tried to get out of it, but were told in no uncertain terms that they would need be a pretty serious reason to get out of doing it.

My mother was invited to attend and she asked where the guilty one was...anyway, she was dismissed or rejected as they say.

gurramok · 05-02-2011 01:46AM

dark crystal wrote: »

However, if you're picked, you're picked. Nothing much you can do about it.

Oh, there are ways you know. Be biased in the case before you are selected and you are off the hook. Pretend you are a mad case and you maybe be excused

theteal · 05-02-2011 01:47AM

In my mere 9 years of adulthood i have been summonsed to the central criminal court 3 times for jury duty.

-the first time i was excused when being sworn in as i had exams.
-second time was about 5 years ago i served in a murder trial.
-I got called again there in december '10 but I'm excused for 10 years since the murder trial

I'm screwed, I know i'm gonna continue to get called every few years

dark crystal · 05-02-2011 01:53AM

theteal wrote: »

In my mere 9 years of adulthood i have been summonsed to the central criminal court 3 times for jury duty.

-the first time i was excused when being sworn in as i had exams.
-second time was about 5 years ago i served in a murder trial.
-I got called again there in december '10 but I'm excused for 10 years since the murder trial

I'm screwed, I know i'm gonna continue to get called every few years

Out of curiosity, did you send the defendant down in the murder trial?

Captain Havoc · 05-02-2011 02:16AM

I had to do pre-trials for two road traffic accidents, which were held on the same day. First one was a father who accidently killed his very young daughter and the other was a motor cyclist who hit a car. We had to determine that the two had been killed in road traffic accidents, which they had.

dark crystal · 05-02-2011 02:33AM

Captain Havoc wrote: »

I had to do pre-trials for two road traffic accidents, which were held on the same day. First one was a father who accidently killed his very young daughter and the other was a motor cyclist who hit a car. We had to determine that the two had been killed in road traffic accidents, which they had.

That poor man (the father).

Couldn't have been easy for you having to hear some of that evidence, I'd imagine.

Captain Havoc · 05-02-2011 02:45AM

dark crystal wrote: »

That poor man (the father).

Couldn't have been easy for you having to hear some of that evidence, I'd imagine.

Wasn't particularly pleasing to be in the court with those families, must be the most horrible thing in the world being responsible for someone else's death, even if there's nothing you could have done to prevent it.

carm · 05-02-2011 02:49AM

dark crystal wrote: »

I served on a serious assault case and we ultimately found the defendant guilty. We were all pretty much in agreement, but there was one guy who was arguing in his favour. He eventually relented and all in all, the case only lasted a day. Was hard when the verdict was read out, as yer man was eying us all up menacingly, but it was definitely the right decision, given the evidence presented to us.

Has anyone here ever served on a jury and what was your experience? (Obviously, no names of anyone involved please!)

Very similar to you, first time I was called was around the time of the trial of a very famous pint-sized criminal which was thankfully deferred. Lucky as my name was first to come up for jury. Ended up on a couple of cases that week. The second one was an attack on a shop assisant where we all found him guilty and on leaving the courtroom they took him out at the same time the jury were leaving, where he shouted some crap at me (can't remember now but made me hope I didn't meet him down a dark alley).

Years later was called again, but unable to do it. Yet I know so many people who haven't been called for jury duty once.

vintac34 · 05-02-2011 03:40AM

When called, cup your hands around your ears and keep saying WHA!!

Pretty_Pistol · 05-02-2011 04:06AM

I was called but was living abroad at the time so they let me off. It would have been interesting just to see what goes on.

Aoifey! · 05-02-2011 05:04AM

I'd hate to do it. I can barely decide what I want for dinner never mind if someone id guilty of a crime or not.

theteal · 05-02-2011 02:44PM

dark crystal wrote: »

Out of curiosity, did you send the defendant down in the murder trial?

He got manslaughter

mandyarms · 05-02-2011 03:10PM

I've been called to do it a few times, never actually got to do it but I did get a few free dinners:)

knird evol · 05-02-2011 03:37PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MFebZlUJ7E

sam34 · 05-02-2011 03:41PM

my job means i'm exempt, thankfully.

it's not a responsibility i'd be comfortable with.

Jury Duty

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