Jury service

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max wartbug said:
Unless they've updated the Jury box in Durham, I'd hope you don't get picked. Two lots of Six people jammed onto a plank of wood 6 inches wide. It was like a medieval torture (or it may be deliberately uncomfortable so you don't fall asleep).

If you are picked though, then you will see the legal profession doing nowt for long periods of time and getting well paid for it. I wanted to get up and shout "for Christ's sake will you get on with it!!", but apparently that sort of thing isn't well received.

In short, done it once and never want to be bothered with it again.
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"Well paid" not anymore haha
 


super sleeves said:
Got to start mine tomorrow at Newcastle. Not lookin forward to it like
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Our lass was the same ,dreaded it and thought of every excuse under the sun as she's soft as shite that way on.

Turned out she absolutely loved it and put herself forward to do an extra week .
 
mcq10 said:
It's grim and I hope I never have to do it again.

They should offer jurors f***ing councilling after it.

I had a child abuse case which left me horrified for weeks some of the stuff I heard
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Imagine what it was like for the kids...easy to say but you did an important job for them(hope you found the bassa guilty!)
 
super sleeves said:
Got to start mine tomorrow at Newcastle. Not lookin forward to it like
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I've been waiting for the letter for 26 years. All that time friends have been called up, some twice. Gutted. I'd love to do it.

However it will be typical that it arrives now when I am currently self-employed, meanin I lose money.
 
Kent_Mackem said:
I've been waiting for the letter for 26 years. All that time friends have been called up, some twice. Gutted. I'd love to do it.

However it will be typical that it arrives now when I am currently self-employed, meanin I lose money.
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3rd time I've had the letter, first time they rang up to say they have enough people not to bother, second time I deferred it, 3rd time is now.

Dreading the boredom
 
My dad had never had a jury citation then in the same week, got one to sit in the Crown Court in Newcastle and one for the coroner's in Durham, with both sittings starting on the same day. Phoned them up and they have him the choice. I think he chose Durham for the parking. They then contacted him and cancelled that citation Yoo, so he's still never sat on one and he's now over 70, so can't!
 
Did mine at the Old Bailey. Two weeks and didn’t sit on one case. I was excused from the only one I ended up in the final selection for as the bar exams were coming up.

Spent two weeks watching Wimbledon. Wish I’d been able to sit for at least one case.
 
scattermole89 said:
Any one done it?
I'm on it from Monday for 2 weeks at Durham
Where's the best to park? I very rarely go to Durham so have no idea even where the courts are
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Did coroner’s court jury service about ten years ago, that was tough! Four days of listening to witness statements and family members seeking answers, and then two days to decide on the choice of one of three verdicts set down by the Coroner.
 
Sat on
Dark Traveller said:
Did coroner’s court jury service about ten years ago, that was tough! Four days of listening to witness statements and family members seeking answers, and then two days to decide on the choice of one of three verdicts set down by the Coroner.
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Ended up sitting two trials one in the first week lasted about 3 hours career criminal who knew all the tricks to pull on the heart strings - failed miserably
Got early finishes every day wasn't on a case and told to not bother turning in on first Friday
Second week got a trial that lasted 7 days into a third week wasn't a case anyone would like to be on
Phones were allowed in waiting room just not in court or when coming to a verdict
Enjoyed it and would do it again if I had a chance but it's a lot having someone's life in your hands
 
scattermole89 said:
Any one done it?
I'm on it from Monday for 2 weeks at Durham
Where's the best to park? I very rarely go to Durham so have no idea even where the courts are
Click to expand...

Done it twice, one for two weeks, second time for 6 weeks. Good if you get a juicy case, like others have said take a good book.
 
scattermole89 said:
Sat on

Ended up sitting two trials one in the first week lasted about 3 hours career criminal who knew all the tricks to pull on the heart strings - failed miserably
Got early finishes every day wasn't on a case and told to not bother turning in on first Friday
Second week got a trial that lasted 7 days into a third week wasn't a case anyone would like to be on
Phones were allowed in waiting room just not in court or when coming to a verdict
Enjoyed it and would do it again if I had a chance but it's a lot having someone's life in your hands
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It was tough but I’d do it again if given the chance, the jury had to decide on the verdict of two cases, first one was of a young lass who had been hit by a train just outside Durham, the Coroner instructed the jury on the verdict for that one.

And the other case centred around a lad who was found hanging in his cell in Durham prison. Those four days of listening to all the witness accounts, as well as family members cross questioning and been shown the photographs from the cell were quite tough to sit through.

There were some quite intense discussions and arguments amongst the jury members on trying to reach the verdict. We were instructed to decide between three verdicts:

death by negligence
Took own life but of sound mind
Took own life but not of sound mind (something like that, but to be honest cannot remember the actual wording)

I cannot remember what verdict we reached (don’t think it was the first one), but by the time we were released by the Coroner when finished my head was well and truly battered.
 
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