Re: Jury Service

I was excused thankfully, I always wonder why we don't have some sort of testing for suitability for jurors, it seems worrying to me almost anyone can sit on a jury. I know I would be hopeless if I had done it completely unsuitable.

My husband was called and was willing but his Asperger personality traits made it very difficult for him and others as unless things are lined up and counted in his mind he just cannot make a decision. Looking back they should have said he couldn't do it.

Re: Jury Service

Both Mr Clumsy and I did jury service in the UK. A lot of waiting around but we were both picked for two trials. My fellow jury members took it very seriously and discussed everything in minute detail, apart from one case where the woman was very obviously guilty but one man refused to go for guilty, although he said he knew she was guilty he felt sorry for her. Therefore because it wasn't quite unanimous it had to be referred back to the judge, but guilty she was and that was the judgement.

It is rather worrying though as I remember my ex father in law being on jury service and he told us that the minute he saw the man on trial he knew he was guilty, so I think someone's first impressions of like or dislike really can colour the judgement.

Re: Jury Service

I loved it, the first day was boring, but I then got called on 2 cases and thought it was great, only started at 9.30am and the latest we finished was 3pm, them judges don't like working long hours.
I should have done 2 weeks, but got finished 3 days early, and had to go back to work.

Re: Jury Service

No way! I think the idea of a volunteer jury is a horrible prospect. You would get the hang 'em high brigade and other fringe loonies with nothing better to do with their time. I certainly wouldn't want to be tried by a jury of volunteers. The whole point of the jury system is that it is made up of your peers, so what if they fall asleep? that is what people do. The system works very well, it isn't broken, why try to fix it?

Over many years I have been on several juries they are not always very interesting, civil cases are excruciating but it is like voting, a civic duty, and should be compulsory.

I think the current maximum of 70 years old is fine.

Re: Jury Service

I did 2 weeks of it too. The trials were incredibly boring I found. Petty crimes where stuff was poured over time and time again. Only good thing about the whole experience was I went out with a fellow member of the jury for a while .

Re: Jury Service

Twiz you haven't got to be the judge!
I did it when I was in my twenties, I found it interesting tiring.
Seventy five in a couple of weeks, does that mean I am too old to do it again?
Silly thing is now I have a better outlook on life, than I did then, rather crazy I think.

Re: Jury Service

One time when I served on a jury, the woman next to me came back from lunch break drunk... and promptly fell asleep on my shoulder. She was removed immediately and an alternate juror put in her place.

I agree with you wrinkly.. Older people are not incapable of paying attention and making sound decisions... They are probabley more capable as they have more experience looking at all sides of an issue.

Re: Jury Service

How about professional juries ? You could make sure they were suitable for the trial and ensure fair play. No need to have an age limit as if you became unable to do the job you would retire.

Re: Jury Service

I don't think professional Jurors are a good idea. I think it would draw out the loonies with an agenda or an ax to grind or a particular prejudice.

I believe juries do a good job. Judges are pretty clear with their instructions on how a particular jury is to proceed. People tend to follow those instructions and for the most part come to a proper decision. If they become unclear or muddled, they can always get a message to the judge for clarification of the law in question and what their purpose is.

Re: Jury Service

I think here we are moving towards some sort of professional juror system for fraud cases as they are so complicated even the judges have trouble following the money.