Have you ever done jury service ?

Question

I've just been called up, what can I expect? Do I have to do it?

Answer 1

You can expect to be waiting around for hours waiting to be picked for 1 of many juries so be prepared and take something to read. You are not allowed to leave the court building without permission so you will soon know what it's like to be incarcerated.

You may be called for a jury on numerous occasions but this is no guarantee that you will be picked to actually sit on the jury - it was 3 days before I actually managed to plonk myself down in front of the "beak", by which time I was considering digging an escape tunnel!

You will be given vouchers for breakfast/lunch but these are not enough if you have a healthy appetite so take some money with you. Keep all travel tickets etc, the cost of these will be reimbursed at the end of jury service. The court clerks and ushers are very friendly and helpful and deal efficiently with any queries you may have during jury service.

In all it's a fairly good experience and gives you an insight into the workings of the law (and other jurors heads). I was the Chair for the juries I sat on so became very involved throughout . I recommend it.

Answer 2

Yes I did at the Old Bailey once. There are a good number of jurors and the ushers look after you. When they need a jury the usher will put the names on cards in a box or bowl and pick them out one by one. they are a bit flexible and they know if a long case is coming up so if you a bit stuck for a long case you can have a word. The selection looks and should be random but they can manipulate it. Once you are on a jury you may be excluded for various reasons. The barristers can object for a certain amount of jurors and give no reason and then a few more but give a reason. I sat on one where the defence did not want any women jurors and as they went to swear each member in the barrister objected to each woman until they had an all male jury. I was excluded from one jury because it was about doping greyhounds and they did not want anyone who had anything to do with them and I was working for the GRA at the time
Don't worry about it it is quite relaxed and the ushers are very good.
And yes you have to do it unless you have a very very good reason why not

Answer 3

Just because you are called and show up does not mean that you will actually serve on a jury.
Along with you, other people will also be summoned (by the way, since it is a summons, you must appear unless you can give them an excuse-see below),to form a jury pool.
You will then sit in this waiting area while waiting to be called on a case.
You may not be called and dismissed on your first day or on subsequent days. This depends on how busy the court you are assigned to is.
You may get picked from the pool with a large number of other people from the pool.
This group then goes to the trial room. In the trial room you hear from the judge about the case,its estimated length, who are the participants, lawyers etc to see if you think there is some reason you can not participate. Fron this group the judge wil randomly select 8 people for a civic matter of 12 for criminal matter.
If you get selected, each juror is briefly interviewed outloud so that the attorneys and the judge can learn about you and see if you should not be on the jury.
The judge may remove you or the attorneys may depending on whether they think you will benefit their case. No reason will be given to you for your dismissal-sometimes it is obvious, sometimes not. It is at their discretion.
If you are canned, the judge will pick someone else from the group that came with you.
If you are called to be a juror, you can call for a "sidebar" to confidenttialy explain to the judge and attorney why you do not think you should serve. Reasons can be knowing the people in the trial, being involved in a similar case yourself, "hardship" which means that due to other life responsibilities like work, family, etc you can not stay for the time required for the case, phyical and emotional problems, etc, etc.
To excuse your self from responding to the summons, read your summons card. It will tell you which reasons are acceptable and what to do.
Frankly, it is a wonderful experience in seing at first hand our democartic process. If you can, do it.
Good luck!

Answer 4

You do have to show up. Intially, there can be a lot of waiting around, but once they get into the process of selecting a panel, it gets more interesting. They will ask questions that will indicate if potential jurors have biases that could make them lean more toward one side or the other in the case. The process can take a few hours or even weeks or days in some cases that have been highly publicized. I have served on two juries. One was a drug case and the other was a murder/arson/assaulting a police officer case. I found the experience to be very interesting. The law has many intricacies that have to be considered when reaching a verdict.

Answer 5

Yes - I've done it and most of what has been written is correct...
You can postpone, write in and ask for your call up to be postponed, but at some point in the future you will be written to again. It's pretty tricky if you own/buying, renting and on electoral register not to be called up at some point.
The day you have been asked to attend the courts you will be ushered into a large holding area where Jury’s are picked from... If you are not picked for actual service on day one you still have to turn up day two, three etc. If you are picked day one, good luck, the fun commences.
What you need to be prepared for though is not be chosen on day one, or two, or three so you’ll have to put up with a shed load of waiting... hours waiting... and then some more waiting... (you will need magazines, books and your MP3!!). On the other hand if you are chosen early and you’re case is a large, complicated one it may go on for weeks - but you will be warned. Then of course you all have to come to a (at the start) unanimous decision on outcome. If as a jury you can not achieve this then there will be a 9 out of ten decision allowed… so just the decision making can take two/three days! On average the majority of people are in court for 6-7 working days and are let go a day or so early from the normal two week call up.
Once on a jury be aware all judges are different in terms of timings. On my first week it came to Friday and we were still in court to 8pm... which threw me out somewhat...as I was meant to be 100 miles away at a party I had organized. No one warned me!
Overall, be prepared for anything, take reading material and music, money as there are canteens (you do get a small payment from the Government) and do not organise anything in the evenings during your time there as you may not make it!! Hope this helps....

Answer 6

I sat on three juries a few years ago. I would do it again. I found it very interesting.

A word of caution - if you think you may know one of the parties, speak up! The first case I sat on was a civil case. I thought the person who was suing looked familiar, but I couldn't place her. Oftentimes I see people who I don't really know but remind me of someone I used to know in the many places I've lived. For that reason, I kept quiet. I figured I'd look pretty foolish saying "well I think I know her, but maybe I don't." Big mistake. Ten days after the trial ended (and we had awarded her nothing), my husband and I ran into her - with one of the guys in my husband's military company. Turned out she was his girlfriend. If I had known that, I would have said something and gotten excused from the jury. But it doesn't change my mind - she didn't prove her case.

Answer 7

Once, you will be asked questions by both sides lawyers to determine eligibility, and then if chosen you will sit in on the court proceedings until a decision is reached by you the jury. Not too bad, depending on the case, and you do get paid for it. Not much though.

Answer 8

As others have advised you will have to do it unless you can give a good reason not to i.e care for close sick relation etc...

Don't worry about it, of course you will be nervous its a new experience and the thought of courts can be intimidating, especially if you haven't had dealing with them before.

You will be well looked after, well fed and you won't end up out of pocket.

It will be an experience in life that you have never seen before and that can only be for the good.

GOOD LUCK, DON'T WORRY.

Answer 9

I have done it and its quite interesting. You get your expenses and lunch money and can claim back lost income though this is capped. You can expect a minor case uness you are sent to a major court like the Old Bailey. There is quite a bit of sitting around and usually a grump old judge to contend with. And you can be called again after 10 years. They get your name from the electoral roll.

Answer 10

Depends. Your employer can ask that you be excused, if there is sufficient reason.

You may not be picked, on the day. There is a ballot of the possible jurors. You may have to attend for three days.

The above is based on the Scots system.