Thread: Jury Duty

I spent a full week as a jury member on a drug trial some years ago, what an eye opener.


I can highly recommend doing jury duty if given the opportunity.


My only gripe was that you really have to watch the media to find the eventual sentencing if found guilty.



Erich

While it is a community service to actually serve on a jury, only a minority of those empanelled will ever have to do so. Beyond genuine legal reasons for not serving there are many techniques (legal and dodgy) that people who are drafted employ to achieve their rejection by counsel.

In NSW, the panel is made up in local areas for a period of time by a random choice (lottery ?) from the electoral roll.

The people I really feel for are sole traders (e.g. sub-contractors) who have deadlines and customers' expectations to meet, and for whom there is no replacement in their business - unfortunately this has never been a reasonable excuse for not serving.

By the way the pay is a pittance, but people with some jobs (like public servants) get their usual pay.

In many ways, from the POV of the juror, it is not an equitable system.

I did jury duty a few years ago. I wasn't all that keen, but interested in getting a behind the seems look at the process of law - I didn't think once about what the case may be about.

Turned out, I was put on the jury for a serial pedophile case. It was a horrific and harrowing experience with many in the jury (myself included) struggling to fight back tears having to listen to what this guy liked to do to 8 year olds. But it was truly horrifying how the victims were treated by the defence lawyer.

After going through all this, there was a stuff up with some evidence and they needed a new jury. It took about 5 min after it was presented in the court room and then we were shuffled off, told to get our bags and shown the door.

I stood on the street behind the court room wondering what the hell had happened. I consider myself to be a fairly emotionally strong person and I lost my sense of humour for a long time after that. There was no support offered during or after the trial. All in all it was a pretty horrible experience, and knowing that the victims (I think it should be survivors..) had to go through it all again with the defence lawyer still makes me feel sick.

I have been called up twice and proceeded to the stage of empanelment once and been objected off , and the second time I was empanelled but my panel was not selected.
Each time you proceed to the empanelment stage gives you a 5 year exemption.

The first time was quite funny.
I was at the Hmm urinal with a ministerial advisor ( cynical ex copper) and told him I was to do jury duty. He looked at me and said "no chance" . I said why.
He said " You are a middle aged conservative looking white male. There is no chance you will get on a jury".

So I went to the Darling Centre, was ampanelled , we all walked up to Taylor Square for a robbery trial , and I was objected off by the defence lawyer.
It appears that you have to be a 25 year old hippy chick or covered in tats etc to get on a jury.
If you want to appear to do your duty but not have to do it, just have a good haircut, be clean shaven, and wear your best suit. This is especially valid if you are at least 40 years old and a WASP male. LOL
Regards Philip A

Originally Posted by flagg

I did jury duty a few years ago. I wasn't all that keen, but interested in getting a behind the seems look at the process of law - I didn't think once about what the case may be about.

Turned out, I was put on the jury for a serial pedophile case. It was a horrific and harrowing experience with many in the jury (myself included) struggling to fight back tears having to listen to what this guy liked to do to 8 year olds. But it was truly horrifying how the victims were treated by the defence lawyer.

After going through all this, there was a stuff up with some evidence and they needed a new jury. It took about 5 min after it was presented in the court room and then we were shuffled off, told to get our bags and shown the door.

I stood on the street behind the court room wondering what the hell had happened. I consider myself to be a fairly emotionally strong person and I lost my sense of humour for a long time after that. There was no support offered during or after the trial. All in all it was a pretty horrible experience, and knowing that the victims (I think it should be survivors..) had to go through it all again with the defence lawyer still makes me feel sick.

In very many ways, the justice system forces victims into repeated suffering, the long term effects of which can be horrendous.

It seems to be more about justice being seen to be done for the accused than justice actually being done.

Never been called, but would be exempt anyway, as working in emergency services.

Both daughters have been called (at different times) one was empanneled for an 8 week murder trial, that was a mis-trial after 2 weeks, the other was rejected by the defense.

Martyn

Originally Posted by 87County

The people I really feel for are sole traders (e.g. sub-contractors) who have deadlines and customers' expectations to meet, and for whom there is no replacement in their business - unfortunately this has never been a reasonable excuse for not serving.

Was a valid excuse for me.

Originally Posted by 87County

By the way the pay is a pittance, but people with some jobs (like public servants) get their usual pay.

Your employer is supposed to make up the difference. It's in the information they send you.

I would be interested the day that we have a court of justice instead of a court of law