FabSwingers.com forum: Jury Service

By *asycouple1971 OP Couple
over a year ago

midlands

Jury on the Lucy Letby is expected to last 6 months.

Going to to be tough on them and hope they are offered help afterwards.

I have been on jury service once and it was tough and that was only for 2 weeks.

Most of it involved waiting to see if your name was getting to get called.

Did manage to sit on a case of robbery in the end.

Most of the other juriors were only interested in getting home and not looking at the evidence, sure to say they found the defendant innocent but were shocked and kicking themselves when the Judge read out the defendants previous offences at the end which included alot of robbery offences.

Sonetimes trial by jury is not the right answer but it gives you an insight into how some crazy decesions are made.

A few on the jury panel were just plain thick and had no interest in the verdict or the case.

Anyone else been on jury service and what did you think?

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By *bi HaiveMan
Forum Mod
over a year ago

Cheeseville, Somerset

Aren't you not supposed to discuss any jury service you've been on.....

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By *arlomaleMan
over a year ago

darlington

"Aren't you not supposed to discuss any jury service you've been on.....

A"
they haven’t named a specific case so can’t see it being a problem

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By *ugby 123Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

O o O oo

I have and loved it, although in the two weeks I had four cases so didn't get bored.

I did get asked would I be willing to do a case that would be lasting a possible 6 weeks which I would have done but the subject of the case was something I didn't think I could sit through so I said no.

I would love to do it again

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I did it when I was 19. Was alright.

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By *asycouple1971 OP Couple
over a year ago

midlands

"Aren't you not supposed to discuss any jury service you've been on.....

We can do as this happened a few years ago and the case is closed.

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By *bi HaiveMan
Forum Mod
over a year ago

Cheeseville, Somerset

"Aren't you not supposed to discuss any jury service you've been on.....

We can do as this happened a few years ago and the case is closed. "

OK.

I was going by this....

"After the trial you must not talk about what happened in the deliberation room, even with family members. You can talk about what happened in the courtroom."

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By *asycouple1971 OP Couple
over a year ago

midlands

"I have and loved it, although in the two weeks I had four cases so didn't get bored.

I would love to do it again"

Likewise. I would do it again but alot of people called were annoyed as they were missing work, family events etc.

I was called to sit on a case that was going to last 2 months which involved child cruelty etc but was not picked, in someway Im glad of it as I read about in the newspapers and it was horrific.

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By *ugby 123Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

O o O oo

"Aren't you not supposed to discuss any jury service you've been on.....

We can do as this happened a few years ago and the case is closed.

OK.

I was going by this....

"After the trial you must not talk about what happened in the deliberation room, even with family members. You can talk about what happened in the courtroom."

There is a difference, he is talking about the people in the room, not how they got to the decision

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By *ugby 123Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

O o O oo

Or she

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By *den-Valley-coupleCouple
over a year ago

Cumbria

Yes 2 weeks 1 week of nothing then week 2 had two caes enjoyed the experience and both 100% guilty..

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By *dward_TeagueMan
over a year ago

wolverhampton

When I did jury service it really destroyed my faith in our judicial system.

I was happy to be called, I thought it was my civic duty etc. I got selected for a case on day two which lasted until day five. So far so good.

What shocked me and made me question my own motivation was when during deliberation people were changing their minds regardless of whether the defendant was guilty or innocent just to get it over with, they were self employed and wanted to get back to work. That cannot be right, everyone deserves a fair trial, I get why self employed people need to get back to their business but what if they were the defendant and one of their jurors was more concerned about their business than the defendants innocence or guilt?

I wouldn’t be swayed because I thought the defendant was innocent and the prosecution hadn’t really set a strong case against him. So the judge accepted a majority verdict.

I think trial by jury should remain but it does need an overhaul.

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By *ohn KanakaMan
over a year ago

Not all that North of North London

I did it years ago. One trial was horrific, the other actually quite enjoyable.

Having served on a jury, I'd question the validity of it as there is a lot of confirmation bias in place.

And a six month trial can wreck people's lives. There is a potential huge financial impact, it can impact on employment and of course mental health. I'm not sure that's okay

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By *acknickMan
over a year ago

london

"Aren't you not supposed to discuss any jury service you've been on.....

Once a case has been closed you are free to talk about it. There are some exceptions to the rule like on high profile cases but apart from that it's ok

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By *egoMan
over a year ago

Preston

I’ve never been called up. I think id like to have the experience.

In fact i don't think i know anyone who has.

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By *ohn KanakaMan
over a year ago

Not all that North of North London

"Aren't you not supposed to discuss any jury service you've been on.....

Once a case has been closed you are free to talk about it. There are some exceptions to the rule like on high profile cases but apart from that it's ok"

In broad terms anything that is discussed in open court (which is everything the jury witnesses) is in the public domain ahd can be discussed after the trial as any many of the public could have observed it

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By *asycouple1971 OP Couple
over a year ago

midlands

With the Lucy Letby trial set for 6 months it is going to tough for them to put everything on hold for that time.

This trial will mean they miss alot of family and work time.

They will also need to avoid drinks the night before court etc and try and remain focus on the job.

I agree to the defendant getting a fair trial but 6 months is pushing it.

How are we expecting atleast not 1 of the Jury members to fall ill in that 6 months or have a family emergency?

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By *acknickMan
over a year ago

london

"When I did jury service it really destroyed my faith in our judicial system.

I was happy to be called, I thought it was my civic duty etc. I got selected for a case on day two which lasted until day five. So far so good.

I wouldn’t be swayed because I thought the defendant was innocent and the prosecution hadn’t really set a strong case against him. So the judge accepted a majority verdict.

I think trial by jury should remain but it does need an overhaul."

You are bang on mate! Well said! This is one of the major if not biggest problems with the trial by jury system. My mum has been called up twice and she said exactly the same thing as you. She completely understood people wanting to go back to their normal lives but like yourself was shocked by the way some people would literally just agree with the majority for a quick finish.

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By *he FAB Social - MCRCouple (FF)
over a year ago

manchester

This is an interesting thread to me as I have just left the court service and my OH is a judge so we discuss jury decisions we see all the time. The jurors arriving act very ‘marmite’ over been asked. I’d be on the pleased side of the fence if I was asked to do it. I personally find it a bit rude with the ‘can’t be arsed’ attitude when you’re making decisions on someone’s life.

One thing I will say though is that some verdicts I see make me think if I was every in that predicament I’d be inclined to just plead guilty at the mags rather than go through a trial. Some verdicts make me want to drop through the floor.

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By *ohn KanakaMan
over a year ago

Not all that North of North London

"With the Lucy Letby trial set for 6 months it is going to tough for them to put everything on hold for that time.

This trial will mean they miss alot of family and work time.

They will also need to avoid drinks the night before court etc and try and remain focus on the job.

I agree to the defendant getting a fair trial but 6 months is pushing it.

How are we expecting atleast not 1 of the Jury members to fall ill in that 6 months or have a family emergency?

The jury can drop down in numbers if the judge discharges a juror. 12 is the maximum number bit it can proceed with less.

Of course there will be days when the trial is adjourned because legal parties aren't available, that luxury won't be one that the jurors have though

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I’ve never been called. Can someone explain the process from the start? You get a letter then what happens?

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By *asycouple1971 OP Couple
over a year ago

midlands

"This is an interesting thread to me as I have just left the court service and my OH is a judge so we discuss jury decisions we see all the time. The jurors arriving act very ‘marmite’ over been asked. I’d be on the pleased side of the fence if I was asked to do it. I personally find it a bit rude with the ‘can’t be arsed’ attitude when you’re making decisions on someone’s life.

Thank you for your feedback on this.

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By *om and JennieCouple
over a year ago

Chams or Socials

I dread being called up. Have spent enough time in court rooms & trials through work. But if I were, I would take it seriously & base my decision on the evidence

J x

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By *ugby 123Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

O o O oo

"I’ve never been called. Can someone explain the process from the start? You get a letter then what happens? "

You turn up on the day

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By *om and JennieCouple
over a year ago

Chams or Socials

"I’ve never been called. Can someone explain the process from the start? You get a letter then what happens?

You turn up on the day

With books to read!!

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By *acknickMan
over a year ago

london

"I’ve never been called up. I think id like to have the experience.

In fact i don't think i know anyone who has. "

You have to be prepared though mate that you can be put on a trial where you will have to see some beyond horrific evidence and be face to face with real monsters. It can be life changing to a lot of people and Some find it very hard to cope with

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By *uke olovingmanMan
over a year ago

Gravesend

My dad was on the oz magazine trial

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I’ve never been called. Can someone explain the process from the start? You get a letter then what happens?

You turn up on the day

Yes but I always assumed if you got called you’d have something assigned but is this not the case from what I’ve read here?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I got called up once. 3 hours in the morning waiting for everyone to do the paper work, called into the courtroom in the afternoon, was told the next day more information had come to light so the trial was postponed, no other trials left so that was end of it. It lasted all of 1 and a half days

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By *anddXXXCouple
over a year ago

London

Called up twice, 25 plus years ago, within 2 years of the other call up.

Got out of it both times.

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By *he FAB Social - MCRCouple (FF)
over a year ago

manchester

"I’ve never been called. Can someone explain the process from the start? You get a letter then what happens?

You turn up on the day

Yes but I always assumed if you got called you’d have something assigned but is this not the case from what I’ve read here?"

It’s computer generated (these days) so there is a threat you could sit there for 2 weeks and not get on any trial at all or you could be on 2 or 3 depending how long they last

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By *dward_TeagueMan
over a year ago

wolverhampton

"I’ve never been called. Can someone explain the process from the start? You get a letter then what happens? "

You rock up at court on day one, go through security and go into the jurors waiting area. There will be a mix of jurors in that area, some who’ve already been called for a trial and are waiting for their case to start on that day; others are a fresh intake who sit around waiting to be called and then hopefully selected.

I remember on my first day I was home by 10am!

Once you’re called you go to the court where you may be selected or the defence team may object to your inclusion. They will also check whether you know the defendant or any witnesses etc.

Then the fun starts!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I believe in the Jury system for the most serious cases and I think any biases/weaknesses are balanced by the numbers. And of course Judges

make plenty of poor and biased decisions.

However I think it is a waste of resources for lower level cases, and for serious fraud and financial cases where no lay person could be expected to understand the details.

I have done Jury Service which I enjoyed and also been a Magistrate which I found boring and frustrating.

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By *ugby 123Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

O o O oo

"I’ve never been called. Can someone explain the process from the start? You get a letter then what happens?

You turn up on the day

Yes but I always assumed if you got called you’d have something assigned but is this not the case from what I’ve read here?"

No, when I did it, you all turn up on the day and wait until you are called for a trial

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By *asycouple1971 OP Couple
over a year ago

midlands

"I’ve never been called. Can someone explain the process from the start? You get a letter then what happens? "

Turn up to court on time unless you have a valid excuse not to.

Sit in a large room with alot of people waiting for your name to be called then see if you are picked to sit in a case.

You get your public transport cost repaid but dont do what 1 guy did and park his car in the car park and expect to get the cost back lol.

Also get some money towards lunch paid, had McD,Greggs and BK for those 2 weeks.

Somwtimes you get sent home early otherwise have to stay until 430.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"My dad was on the oz magazine trial

How interesting Duke ! I believe John Mortimer represented the defendants ?

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By *uke olovingmanMan
over a year ago

Gravesend

"My dad was on the oz magazine trial

How interesting Duke ! I believe John Mortimer represented the defendants ? "
that's true ..he did...there's a copy of the mag round here somewhere

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By *ritIndianCoupleCouple
over a year ago

Midlands

I was called for Jury service in the coroners court. The case was a young lad who committed suicide in prison. It was horrific to be honest and then you just have to go back to normal life. It has stayed with me for a very long time. I wouldn’t mind jury service but not in the coroners court again.

Mrs

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By *ohn KanakaMan
over a year ago

Not all that North of North London

"I was called for Jury service in the coroners court. The case was a young lad who committed suicide in prison. It was horrific to be honest and then you just have to go back to normal life. It has stayed with me for a very long time. I wouldn’t mind jury service but not in the coroners court again.

Mrs "

Having worked on the Coroner's court, i honestly think it's horrific what the juries can be exposed to. And are always exposed to. Ahd as yiu say there's no support, sane as seeing murder or manslaughter or serious sexual offences in a criminal court,people can be scarred fir life sewing these things

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Aren't you not supposed to discuss any jury service you've been on.....

We can do as this happened a few years ago and the case is closed.

OK.

I was going by this....

"After the trial you must not talk about what happened in the deliberation room, even with family members. You can talk about what happened in the courtroom."

Maybe it's because the jury system is shite, but it's all we have that looks 'fair'?

A bunch of people who really don't want to be there, with no interest in the outcome and just want to get it over with as soon as possible. What could go wrong?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I once heard that if a male potential juror turned up at the start in a suit and tie,the defence solicitor was more likely to object to that person rather than one smart but casually dressed

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I once heard that if a male potential juror turned up at the start in a suit and tie,the defence solicitor was more likely to object to that person rather than one smart but casually dressed

They certainly engage in profiling.

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By *edplusoneCouple
over a year ago

West Midlands

I did jury service and was lucky to only have drugs and minor offences stuff. In the waiting room people were coming out of court crying because they had a child sex case, so glad I avoided that as things play on my mind as it is. Regarding selection not sure how that works, our names were read out and then ushered straight into court, but of a shock really how quick it all was to be suddenly in the room.

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By *tooveMan
over a year ago

belfast

Hated it. Boring apart from one case where we had to find a paedo not guilty because the abused childs mother was a shite mother.

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By *orthcoupleCouple
over a year ago

Newcastle

Lost all faith in the Judicial System when I done it, and I mean all......

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By *2000ManMan
over a year ago

Worthing

I was selected for jury service but never sat on an actual case. As op stated, most there did not want to be at all.

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By *andyfloss2000Woman
over a year ago

ashford

I did jury service years ago! And deffo wouldn't want to be tried by a jury! X

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By *idlandiaMan
over a year ago

Birmingham

Have done jury service twice.

1st time got 2 cases, both were thrown out by the judge.

2nd, murder trial. Over 3 months long. Luckily my fellow jurors were good people

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By *ouple in LancashireCouple
over a year ago

in Lancashire

Twice at two different courts down south, one alleged r#pe case over five days then sat about for a day then that was it..

And a really interesting fraud case involving crypto which ran for eight days..

Would do it again..

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By *oroRick1027Man
over a year ago

Middlesbrough

Would love to, but I'm exempt.

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By *egoMan
over a year ago

Preston

"I’ve never been called up. I think id like to have the experience.

In fact i don't think i know anyone who has.

Thats my strong point, my brain works a bit different to most. Switch off, apply logic. Its how i help people having a hard time. They know me as a Robot.

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