Jury Service

I was really looking forward to my Jury Service when I was called up in the mid 2000s, but it was something of a let down.

Sat in a waiting room for the first week. Second week I was selected and sworn in for a murder case only for another jury member to declare that they knew to the defendant and we all got sent home.
 
So where are these tips and advice for avoiding jury service then? I thought this was a computer forum?
 
The judge might well express exasperation but perhaps his exasperation could be better targeted at the system current in place, putting aside the silliness of having juries for complex fraud cases etc.. when it comes to self employed people, people with significant variable components to their pay, people involved in project work or people whose employers aren't necessarily going to pay their salary while they're on jury service then there are rather legit financial reasons for wanting to get out of it.

If you really didn't want to do it then what are they going to do if someone makes sure to declare that they absolutely hate bankers and are very happy to have been selected for this case just before a fraud trial involving a banker etc...

As for this guy:

Barry Grimes, 70, was ordered to pay £1,000 for producing a string of unacceptable excuses for failing to attend Liverpool crown court. Grimes, from Bromborough in the Wirral, refused to serve as a juror and then failed to attend his contempt of court hearing, according to BBC News.

He failed to attend court for jury service that was initially scheduled for January last year. His service was deferred until this month, but again Grimes was absent.
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What an idiot, I mean clearly just not turning up if they presumably haven't accepted your reason for being unable to serve is a silly thing to do. If he genuinely had a medical issue relating to needing to go to the toilet and they had rejected it as a reason then he shouldn't feel any need to suffer personal discomfort - if they're happy with continual interruptions for that juror's toilet breaks then...

Greebo said:
So where are these tips and advice for avoiding jury service then? I thought this was a computer forum?
Click to expand...

Its the forth hit on google if you type "forums get out of jury service"
 
Never done it and don't even know anyone who has done it. I'd be quite interested in it personally, even if just to moan about it later. I can see why it may have a very negative effect on peoples lives in some circumstances however.

I think the pressure/guilt of finding someone guilty or potentially allowing someone to go free when they shouldn't might be a bit much though.
 
Was tempted to say something a little un PC then but refrained as I don’t want to be reading about myself in tomorrow’s Times
 
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30 years in to my life and i've never been asked, known friends younger than me that have been asked however.
 
I honestly don't get why people are so anti doing jury service - though in some cases it can be a bit awkward - transportation needs seem poorly taken into account in the limited experience I have from when friends/family have had to do it.
 
I would quite like to be called up to do Jury Service! I think it’d be quite an interesting experience, plus I heard it’s a great time to get in some good reading :D

What’s this Overclockers UK Chat Room I read about? :p
 
Have been called up twice if i remember correctly, last time was 8 years back but after a day of boredom i got sent home.
...and that is where i have a problem with Jury duty, its massively boring and i hate being bored, it really really gets to me. If the court could get its finger out and actually process things much quicker then i wouldn't moan as much but its exceptionally tedious crap for 90% of the time and i am simply not interested.
Then again you dont have a choice, so thats great - state sponsored torture... er boredom... same thing to me. Then again i am pretty sure i could get out of it on medical grounds right now :p
 
I did it a few years ago and really enjoyed it. I'd definitely do it again. I did get a case almost straight away which lasted over two weeks. Some people didn't really get on anything and just waited around for days on end. In that sort of scenario I think you'd have a more negative view of it.
 
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