09-05-2013, 11:13 AM
22
Re: Jury service
I did jury service once and found it very interesting. The biggest lesson I learned was about hypocrisy.We had one case (obviously have to be sparse on the details) where a supermarket had taken a woman to court for theft. Her two year old child had been seen taking a Mars Bar from the shelf and placing it in mum's shopping bag (not the supermarket basket). There was no indication that the mother was aware of this. When she reached the tills, she paid for all the goods in her basket and left the store where she was apprehended by a store detective and the Mars Bar was discovered. The jury was split on this one. Most of us were shocked and surprised that the CPS had brought such a flimsy case to court until the judge told us that it was supermarket policy to prosecute all shoplifting. A substantial minority thought that if she hadn't been aware of what her child was doing, she was (a) a bad mother and deserved all she got; and (b) guilty of not keeping a proper eye on her child. Eventually she was acquitted on a majority vote. The hypocrisy came in at the end of the week when we were all asked to complete expenses claims. I said I wouldn't bother as my employer was paying me as usual and my travel hadn't cost me any more than getting to work normally would. Imagine my surprise (not) when the leader of the minority group in the Mars Bar case (No not that Mars Bar case) called me a fool for not screwing "them" for all I could get. He and a couple of others were making false claims amounting to hundreds of times the value of the Mars Bar. I did mention it to them, but they just couldn't see the irony!
09-05-2013, 11:58 AM
23
Re: Jury service
It's that kind of thing Mick that clogs up the Courts and with a jury as well! It beggars belief. I'm sure a Magistrates Court could have dealt with that one. All that cost to the tax payer over a Mars Bar - no wonder the country can't keep cash in its coffers.09-05-2013, 12:03 PM
24
Re: Jury service
Supermarket should have a bit more common sense. Ok have the woman back and tell her that it is supermarket policy to take it further, and if it happens again they will, but as it was a child and one small item, she should be given the opportunity to pay for it, and let that be it.I don't like to see adults open packets say bag of crsips, packet of drink etc to give to children, they might pay at the end, but it doesn't set a very good example to the children who might not understand this.
09-05-2013, 01:16 PM
26
Re: Jury service
A few months ago I was told my name was on the jury roll and I have just received a summons for Jury Duty for early next month. District or Supreme Court, Criminal Jurisdiction, B panel; thank goodness (hate Civil see below).About 20 years ago I was on panels for two consecutive terms of two years each but was only had to attend the court four times. I don't know the procedure elsewhere but here you are picked at random off the electoral roll to form a panel, then about 40 members of that panel are picked at random to attend court on a specific day any time for as often as needed during the two years. It is quite possible to never be called too.
I don't mind it, you get paid a little, are well fed and it can be moderately interesting.
The juries I hate being on are the civil claims cases with four jurors, usually workers compensation or insurance claims, because they never get to a verdict. The lawyers merely go to court to test the strength of the other party's case then they always settle (not to do so would create a legal precedent). Being on those juries is a total waste of time, I was on three of them for three days and each time they settled by mid afternoon on the first day.
09-05-2013, 06:46 PM
30
Re: Jury service
Originally Posted by valice
->
Supermarket should have a bit more common sense. Ok have the woman back and tell her that it is supermarket policy to take it further, and if it happens again they will, but as it was a child and one small item, she should be given the opportunity to pay for it, and let that be it.
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