Jury Service: Things I Wish I'd Known

[BFTD]

25 minutes ago, BFTD said:

Folk who do long-term work in retail or hospitality must constantly be asked to give evidence, what with theft and drunken arseholes battering f**k out of each other.

 

19 minutes ago, Ad Lib said:

The food is shit and the waiting about is long and unpredictable.

Think you're going to need a better defence that that, m9.

[jamamafegan]

Had loads of summons but always send them a nice email saying I’d love to do my civic duty but I’m too busy, have a dog, wife, child, small business, mother at death’s door etc and couldn’t really give it my full attention. 

I thought you could only get out of jury duty like this a limited amount of times? If I remember correctly, I was once asked to go but I explained I was on a zero hours contract and couldn’t afford the loss in earnings. They said fine but we will ask you again to do jury duty sooner than usual. Sure enough, it might only have been a year later and I was asked again. I remember sitting in the court room as they read the names of the jurors out. That was nerve-wracking. I watched as folks names were called out, some of them putting their heads in their hands, shaking their heads in disappointment when they were called out. Thankfully I wasn’t named and got to go home.

[Bert Raccoon]

I've never been asked which is a shame since I'm judgemental as f**k and hate going to work 

[Shandon Par]

7 minutes ago, jamamafegan said:

 

I thought you could only get out of jury duty like this a limited amount of times? If I remember correctly, I was once asked to go but I explained I was on a zero hours contract and couldn’t afford the loss in earnings. They said fine but we will ask you again to do jury duty sooner than usual. Sure enough, it might only have been a year later and I was asked again. I remember sitting in the court room as they read the names of the jurors out. That was nerve-wracking. I watched as folks names were called out, some of them putting their heads in their hands, shaking their heads in disappointment when they were called out. Thankfully I wasn’t named and got to go home.

 

Must have had it about four or five times now in Edinburgh and once for Livingston. One clashed with getting called as a High Court witness anyway! 

[welshbairn]

2 minutes ago, Bert Raccoon said:

I've never been asked which is a shame since I'm judgemental as f**k and hate going to work 

Pissed off not being asked too, I'd be brilliant at it, sending wee notes out to the judge for clarifications and checking we were all getting sent to a hotel with a decent chef. Seen about every trial film going, I'm a natural!

[Shandon Par]

10 minutes ago, Bert Raccoon said:

I've never been asked which is a shame since I'm judgemental as f**k and hate going to work 

 

6 minutes ago, Shandon Par said:

Must have had it about four or five times now in Edinburgh and once for Livingston. One clashed with getting called as a High Court witness anyway! 

Next letter I get I’ll email to tell them I’m too busy but that a couple of fine gents from P&B would be delighted to step in. 

[BFTD]

Is it a genuine thing that people can turn up and act the c**t to get out of jury duty? Like, tell the judge you're massively prejudiced against people of the same race/religion/transport preference/sexual orientation as the accused?

[Left Back]

2 minutes ago, BFTD said:

Is it a genuine thing that people can turn up and act the c**t to get out of jury duty? Like, tell the judge you're massively prejudiced against people of the same race/religion/transport preference/sexual orientation as the accused?

I suppose getting lifted by the polis for outing yourself as a bigot would get you out of it.

[Derry Alli]

Loved doing jury duty. Only 3 more years until I'm eligible again. 

[Billy Jean King]

Is it a genuine thing that people can turn up and act the c**t to get out of jury duty? Like, tell the judge you're massively prejudiced against people of the same race/religion/transport preference/sexual orientation as the accused?

I was cited the week before Cheltenham a good few years back. 1st case cancelled due to an illness, 2nd plead guilty at last minute. Recalled for the final time on the Thursday. Clerk read out a list of names connected to the case none of which meant a thing. He then asked if anyone knew any of the names and I just stuck my hand up along with 75% of the folk in the room. One by one we were called out to be asked the connection. All bar 1 before had sulked back into the room. Went into the room, clerk asked how I knew them and blurted out that I had "investigated" one for fraud as part of my then job with the Council which was total bullshit. She bought it hook, line and sinker and allowed me to go out the side door. Remember the feeling of elation / relief to this day. Haven't been recalled since.

[Andy Dufresne]

I did jury duty and it was horrible,it was a child sex abuse case and we heard all the fiscal evidence which took over a week.Then before the defence case was to start we were called into the court to be told that the sheriff was directing a not guilty verdict due to a point of law(someone had fucked up)

[philpy]

1 hour ago, Shandon Par said:

Had loads of summons but always send them a nice email saying I’d love to do my civic duty but I’m too busy, have a dog, wife, child, small business, mother at death’s door etc and couldn’t really give it my full attention. 

And you'd probably somehow injure yourself anyway.

[BFTD]

12 minutes ago, Left Back said:

I suppose getting lifted by the polis for outing yourself as a bigot would get you out of it.

Pretty sure you don't get lifted just for admitting to being a bigot, although I'm not willing to test that theory.

[GordonD]

1 hour ago, Detournement said:

I got a row for a reading a book during the selection.

If it was Crime and Punishment you could have claimed you were doing research.

[Highland Capital]

I've only been called for jury service once and got sent home during the selection as the case involved a girl from work!

[Dan Steele]

2 hours ago, Ad Lib said:

The food is shit and the waiting about is long and unpredictable.

Are you sure this doesn't belong in the Prison Term: Things I wish I'd Known thread?

[Granny Danger]

2 hours ago, Bert Raccoon said:

I've never been asked which is a shame since I'm judgemental as f**k and hate going to work 

^^^ One Angry Man

[Monkey Tennis]

2 hours ago, Snafu said:

Fortunately the trial was nothing more than a drunken bar fight where one lad got glassed, it only lasted a few hours. 

Only?  That sounds like quite a long fight to me.

[johnnydun]

Jury Service: Things I wish I didn't know...

One of the (lying) witnesses was an old acquaintance of mine. Had to let them know and got asked to leave after 3 days.

[pub car king]

Never been called up, however if/when I do my view is whatever trial has manged to get that far despite everything the pf/cps has thrown at it so provided the judge is letting it run the fucker has done something.