Never been called, never want to. Know someone who was called for a finance fraud thing, about 6 weeks or so.
I was called once. We were discharged on the second day because the defendant gave the judge a mouthful of abuse and tried to climb out of the dock.
Didn't have to go to court, but once challenged a speeding fine, successfully. I was going into Bristol, when the limit dropped,just as you hit a downward slope. This was in the days when cameras weren't as obvious, as now, with this one high up on the side of a building. When the paperwork came through the post, with a photo showing the rear of the car, I sent a letter back admitting that I had been driving down that road, on that day, but so had my wife, so can you please send me a photo showing which one of us was at the wheel, at the time the photo was taken. Didn't hear anything more from them.
I've been called and excused three times all within the space of a year. At that point I was running my business alone so my excuse was perfectly legitimate. I am somewhat ambivalent about serving as a juror based on the experience of a former employee in another child abuse case. He was traumatised both by what he saw and heard in evidence and by the fact that he had to explain to three elderly jurors the difference between kissing and oral sex. A large part of the trauma was due to his certainty that had he not been on the jury the scumbag would have walked due to the sexual ignorance of those jurors. Luckily he pretty soon realised that his being there had in fact made an enormous difference but as others have said, I'm not at all sure that I would ever want to be exposed to things that simply cannot be unseen. EDIT: I would add that I have also successfully defended myself twice in court for refusing to pay factors in Scotland. Those were truly brown trouser moments!
Have been called up three times but have never actually served. I guess the defendants didn't like the look of my face.
I was called up once in Ireland but got off it as I had only started a new job. My father was in the jury of a case not too dissimilar to AJ, the guy got three years as far as I remember
http://www.sunderlandecho.com/live/event?1834584 Local rag which is doing live updates. Also a summary on the screen at the moment as court hasn't started today yet.
ITV with a summary of today so far: http://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2...ial-jury-shown-photos-from-footballers-phone/ The police who arrested Johnson said earlier that he told his girlfriend 'she said she was 16' as he was arrested at his home. The police who interviewed Johnson at the station are next up this afternoon.
Debra Fox In interview, when DC Walton asked how old the girl was, AJ said: "15. When we spoke I think she told me eventually that she was 15. I knew I was just giving her a shirt. I didn't feel like giving her a shirt was anything wrong." 7m Debra Fox In this first meeting he said they spoke about football and had "general chit chat". 7m Debra Fox Johnson admitted in interview he had met the girl twice - and the first time was arranged so he could give her a shirt he wore at a Sunderland game. 8m Debra Fox When speaking of why he decided to give a shirt to the girl, AJ said: "you try and give them a little bit back, do it for the ones who are always there." 8m please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Debra Fox Johnson said in interview that he is always signing things for fans, and often gives out game shirts to people. 8m Debra Fox AJ: "I think I might have said to her at one of the games at one of the games, 'I will get you a signed shirt' because she's a fan." 10m Debra Fox Johnson told DC Walton in interview that he knew the girl was "always at games" and that he recognised her from always being there. He called her a "passionate fan". 9m Debra Fox When asked if he had had sexual activity with the girl, Johnson said in interview: "is sexual activity a kiss? Not sexual activity, like anything more than a kiss." 7m please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Debra Fox DC: When you were being transported to Peterlee Police Station you said to my colleague, "it can only be [the girl] but she's a friend and I gave her two signed shirts". Read more: http://www.sunderlandecho.com/live/event#ixzz40cm4GrtL Interview transcript so far. Note best read bottom to top as live update page
If I was his girlfriend I would have been as angry if she was 16 as if she was 15. And I bet most, if not virtually all, footballers would beware of being alone with a very young fan....he could have handed her the shirt any time in a less compromising place than a car.
