That didn't sound like a pleasant experience MK. This highlights one of the reasons why jurors shouldn't have to sit on cases in their own locality. Perhaps having professional jurors is the way forward to prevent incidents like this and as no one seems to like doing it. I got called up to do it years ago but it coincided with me joining the fire brigade so they excused me.
If my post indicated I didn't take it seriously I apologise. It was certainly not a joke for the defendants or for the people that were hit in the affray. It was a case though that would normally have been resolved at Magistrares Court. What was a joke though (not comical), was the ineptitude of the barristers & the inability of the Judge to understand any of the language & lifestyle of young people in the mid 70's. And I don't just mean swear words! I think I remain in favour of the jury system, but I'm so pleased I didn't have to give judgement on a case that could have resulted in a long imprisonment or an incorrect verdict that deverstated the lives of the people that had suffered in an incident. The thought of wrongly convicting or of a not guilty verdict partly due to my judgement is not something I would like on my conscience!
My wife was picked for a jury many years ago. She was sequestered in a hotel across the street from our apartment for 3 days. We would wave to each other from our windows !!!
I served for two weeks and was involved in two cases. A kid was accused of carrying a screwdriver as a weapon. He was wearing cargo pants and the screwdriver was in the left hand lower pocket of his pants. The obvious question to me was whether the kid was left or right handed. I sent the judge a note to ask whether we might be privy to this information. The jury was sent out while the legal people deliberated. After we were allowed in again, we were told that we were not allowed to know that detail!! Presumably because it had not been entered in prior evidence. Interestingly the judge instructed us to use all we had heard and observed in court to come to a conclusion. Since the kid was observably right handed, that was one factor that led to his acquittal. His barrister did not help by being repetitive and dull to the point of boredom.However, when I recounted this to a policeman friend, he said that likely the kid had a rap sheet as long as your arm and very likely guilty for CPS to have bothered to bring the case. Who knows? The other case was even more boring so won't bore you with it. I've appeared in court as an expert witness in two trials before judges alone. Having observed both arms of decision making in court, were I to find myself on trial, I would absolutely and without hesitation wish to be tried by a judge alone rather than a jury.
I did Jury Service, many years ago in my mid twenties. I got a murder case at the Old Bailey, a woman apparently murdered her husband.Going there was exciting and scary at the same time. Security at that time was really high, took ages to even get in the door in the morning. I really don't remember much of it as it was really very disturbing so think I blotted it out and just over half way through the underground got flooded through rain storms, I was travelling Central Line to St Pauls and got chucked off at Perivale. The courts had made it clear any delays you phoned in to explain. So I duly phoned from Perivale and they told me I had to get there no matter what. Travelled half way round London finally arrived soaked to the skin, rain dripping of my coat and head I was last to arrive. Summoned immediately to court as everyone had been waiting for little old me. The judge bless him made a huge point of thanking the juror who had made such an effort despite the storms to get to court everyone in the court looks straight at me dripping wet, so embarrassing. I think it was an interesting yet strange experience, however, I think we the jury were all relieved that it was stopped due to new evidence and we were as a jury dismissed. At least 10 out of the 12 of us, (who had bonded at the smoking table rather well,) adjourned to the pub round the corner, (we had been warned about not going to pubs over the road) and unanimously agreed after nearly two weeks we still did not have a clue on the verdict. The case should have been decided in the next two days had new evidence not come up. Never been so relieved to be dismissed in my life!
Be prepared for a long two weeks. If my experience at the local Crown Court was anything to go by. Best advice is take a good book or a QPR highlights video to keep you going. Endless hours of waiting around to be eventually sent home mid afternoon. I was amazed at how inefficient the whole jury selection process was and also why most cases don't commence until after 10:30 yet you're hanging around from 9:00 am, perhaps judges need the extra time to sober up from the night before. Much prefer a trial by a single or panel of judges. As a juror, on my first trial we found the defendant not guilty purely on the basis that four of the jurors did not want to come back the following day as they had already completed 9 days and didn't want to risk carrying over in to a third week.
Absolutely agree. Similar happened to me and the jury I was on had to walk out the court with the family of the man we'd just sent down milling about the place. Expected to be pointed out at any moment and left sharpish. Still think it is a worthwhile thing to do though and I'd be happy to go again.
I've never been asked to do jury service, but have always kind of fancied the idea because I imagine myself as the Henry Fonda character in the film of 12 Angry Men. Reading some the posts above has put me off a little.
