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Has anyone had jury duty?

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by AlamoCity, Nov 20, 2014.

  1. AlamoCity

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    Has anyone served on a jury or been summoned to be a prospective juror? What was your experience like?



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    I got my first juror summons for this December.I thought I was going to have to reschedule because I had a doctor's appointment, but it turned out the appointment is for the day before so I can actually go to jury duty. My dad has served on an actual jury for a DUI case and other times been summoned but not selected. He says to expect to "waste" your day (he was summoned as a juror and was selected last month, but the case was settled right before the trial). I guess I'll be taking an iPad (free wifi). Oh, and it's county jury duty not federal.
     
  2. Hiems

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    Nope, I haven't. My parents had county jury duty a few times, but they were excused due to not understanding and not speaking English fluently to participate.
     
  3. Pret Allez

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    No. I want to be though...
     
  4. kageshiro

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    no and i never want to
     
  5. Kaiser

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    To copy and paste, from elsewhere:







    In my experience, it is best to go and serve on a jury. A lot of people, that do get picked, do mean well, but sometimes, people don't decline, because of the pressure of all eyes on them. Besides, I'd like to think, if I were ever given a jury, there would be, at least, one person like myself, back there, doing something.

    Even if you don't get picked, you still get paid for it. So, a little pocket change, isn't too bad. I know the wages paid, to those undergoing the jury-selection process, differs, but it is still better than nothing. Well, unless you have a decent job, but even then, it's always nice to tell a boss, something along the lines of:

    "Hey, I need these days off."
    "Uh... no."
    "But I really need them off."
    "I won't allow it."
    "I have jury duty."
    "..."
    "See ya!"
    "... okay..."
     
  6. Aussie792

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    I obviously haven't, but I think Kaiser's experiences are a good example of why juries are ineffective and risky.
     
  7. imnotreallysure

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    Thankfully not, and hope I never will. Do they really expect me to come to a conclusion regarding whether or not someone is guilty? Do they really instil that much faith in random people?

    I'd be more than useless.
     
  8. Cap’nSerious

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    I got called a few weeks ago, I didn't actually get selected. The case that I didn't get selected for was a child rape case that would've been so hard to be not bias.
     
  9. Ruprect

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    Yes, I have been summoned for jury duty. Unfortunately, at the time, I was unable to attend the full trial due to economic hardship I would have suffered. I was excused and went back to work.
     
  10. Jwis

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    I have not, my boyfriend just got summoned for it though.

    I would find it interesting, and I think it is a civic duty to complete it if summoned. Work would be hard though. I am a salaried employee so I wouldn't take a hit to my paycheck, but I often cannot be away from work for more then 24 hours due to experiments that I am running.

    I wonder what my boyfriends case could be? He is excited for it.
     
  11. PatrickUK

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    I've never been summoned for jury service, which is rather surprising given the number of cases that are being elevated to Crown Court.

    In all honesty I have doubts about trial by jury, especially in complex crimminal cases. I know there was a long running fraud trial over here a few years ago and the Judge had to make frequent interventions to explain/clarify technical points and matters of law. Afterwards he expressed serious doubts about the whole process and the ability of jurors to follow the course of the trial.

    There have been high profile cases where juries have returned a verdict in a very short timeframe and it leads me to wonder if they have really absorbed and fully considered the testimony and evidence. When the liberty of an individual rests in the balance you really want to have faith in the jury to do its job... I don't. All too often jury members are frustrated at being summoned and taken away from their routine and that really doesn't lend itself to a fair and just process with safe convictions.

    I'd like to see more cases dealt with by Magistrates.
     
  12. Candace

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    Not yet :/
     
  13. happydavid

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  14. MintberryCrunch

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    I've been summoned and I had to sit there for several hours and all that in a basement with a bunch of random people, but they ended up dismissing us in the end.

    It was still cool getting to go to the courthouse and part of me was a little disappointed that I didn't actually get picked to be on a jury :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: Although, man, I was just out of high school and I looked like I was 15...would've been weird for me to be deciding the fate of a murder or something -_-
     
    #14 MintberryCrunch, Nov 21, 2014
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2014
  15. DMark69

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    I received the letter once, but I was serving in the US Army in Germany. I told them I would be happy to serve if they paid my airfare. They excused me. Another time I got a notice from California to report for duty, but I had already moved out of state, and changed my drivers license to the new state.
    I am 45 now, and have never actually reported for duty. It think it would be fun though.
     
  16. Silas

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    I've been summoned but never actually got selected for the jury. I wouldn't have minded serving but I absolutely hated all the waiting involved. I had to show up three days in a row and sit there the entire day each time before they finally called me up and dismissed me. It's amazing how slowly time passes when you have to sit there for 7 hours straight doing absolutely nothing. You gotta walk with a book or a kindle or something to keep you occupied or else those hours end up feeling like an eternity and it's enough to drive you mad :eusa_doh:
     
  17. OGS

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    I never have which I think is weird. My partner has been called up three times. The last time was a case that was almost a week long--the main thrust of the jury deliberation was whether the sex was consensual before the guy killed her. Can you imagine a more terrible thing to discuss with eleven strangers for several days?
     
  18. zkdorko

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    I have.. but I was excused because I'm in school.