Got a Letter from the Ministry of Justice

Never once, and I've been a registered voter for decades. I've always wanted to do it--I know it could range from boring to depressing to horrifying, but it just feels like something everyone out to do at least once to understand how the justice system works.

 

I've been called three times.

Only picked once.......
They asked me some questions about the law and "justice" and I told them that "justice" in this country was a joke and that Communism justice was more "justice" than any American "justice".

They let me go home.

Yeah!!!!!

---------- Post added 5th Feb 2015 at 08:21 AM ----------

Well, the old myths are no longer true.
The city/county/state picks jury personnel by a variety of methods nowadays, not just by your voter registration or your drivers license.

 

if you want out you could say he/she looks guilty to me from the start. that makes you a tainted juror.:lol: I jest, mostly someone i know claims to have done that to get out of duty.

 

I've been called for Grand Jury duty, but I ended up selected as a standby juror, and didn't end up having to go in. Honestly, every court is going to handle the juror process a little differently, so I'm not certain what exactly you should expect. Where I live, had I been selected as a primary grand juror, or a backup grand juror, I would have had to report every day for two weeks, and my employer would have had to let me by law. Where I work, jury panels last a month, but jurors only come in for trials that are scheduled. They call the night before, and don't come in if the matter resolves itself (civil cases settled or criminal cases got a plea).

 

Tell them you are prejudiced toward everyone....

As a member of the Canadian Forces, I get a free pass on jury duty...

 

Hi,

Once... Showed up and was dismissed as they had too many in the pool.

I was scheduled 2/18 but had it pushed off till October (job training conflict).

I do not know anymore how I will handle it. Once I thought "great civic duty" but recent things in the news makes me wonder about the "justice" sysmtem. Will I be fed lies? Will I be given juror instructions by the judge that limit justice?

I don't want it now.

 

I would love to but I've studied law and under English law this disqualifies me from jury duty

 

I've been called FIVE different times (no idea why they keep picking me). Twice I called in to verify if they needed me the day of (that's how we did it back in the day), and found out I wasn't needed. Once I went in, and was let go when I wasn't needed. (I was one of two people left!) Another time, I went in, and was let go when I wasn't needed...when at the VERY last second, a couple lawyers wrangled us "leftovers" together, as something that wasn't going to trial suddenly looked like it was. We went downstairs to get our positions...to find out the other lawyers had just worked out a plea bargain, and we were free to go.

And once...I served.

It was, to put it simply, a waste of everybody's time. Two neighbors didn't like each other, and were continually doing things to annoy each other. This particular case? One of the neighbors thought the other was deliberately overwatering her lawn, because if she did so, excess would start running down the walls in her basement. She went on the other woman's property to see if that's what she was doing, and the other neighbor had her arrested for trespassing. Seriously, that's what the entire trial was about - trespassing. It was two very smug suburban women who both claimed Jesus was on her side. (Jesus, apparently, had nothing else to worry about.)

During jury negotiations after the trial, I asked the judge "Is there any verdict we can give that would ensure one of them just moved the hell away?" He said "God, I wish."

Lex

 

I've never been called for jury duty, despite having been a registered voter my entire adult life. On the other hand, my partner has been called for jury duty three times in the time we've been together and actually served twice. The second time was a murder-rape trial where the substance of the jury discussion was whether or not the sex was consensual before he killed her. Could you imagine a more unpleasant thing to discuss for several days with eleven strangers?

 

I've been called twice. The first time I served and it was very slow and bordering on boring. Nothing like tv. I think the court paid $20/day and my job continued my salary at some reduced rate. Not by much if I remember correctly. I'm not sure but I think they have to continue to pay you. Here, anyway. We're not allowed to talk about what went on but I do recall we were told to split up when when broke for lunch so we didn't "look" like a jury - there being twelve of us... It was also quite a short day compared to my regular work day.
If you do serve, make a note of the case because I think you can forego serving for the next 5(?) years once you've served.
The next time I was called, I applied for dispensation for financial reasons because I was working on contract so was excused. They can and will usually tell you the estimated length of the trial.
It wasn't bad just boring.

 

just tell them that you don't believe the police would arrest somebody if they weren't guilty.

 

Over 25 years: summoned four times, served on a jury twice.

The last time I served on a jury was during an epic snowstorm, and the judge would not postpone the trial because he had a pending out-of-town trip. Shoveling my way out of my home to make it to the courthouse was less than fun. Not a fond memory of jury service...

 

I got summoned once and, um, neglected to present myself to perform my civic duty (sshh). I was working for an egomaniacal boss at the time who probably would have called the attorney general directly to exempt me. To be fair, I was living in a state where they allowed you to postpone the summons for 3 months or something, but by that time I had already moved so, oh well...

Friends who've served have told me that the trials are either depressing or a waste of time. I guess I still hold the romantic notion that trials by jury are one of the finer products of Western civilization and that citizens should be proud to serve the justice system, but I have no experience to draw on to back that up, nor do I have a burning desire to participate in said system. That said, it could be fun! You get free lunch at the very least

 

I've been called to testify once, since I was the arresting officer in a case that went to trial. It was certainly an experience trying to reconstruct what happened down to the finest details and being grilled by the defense attorney on any deficiencies in our handling of the incident.

I can't say I'd be really excited for jury duty, but I would like to do my part for the community on the side of the courtroom as well as in the front.

 

but I imagine that the Canadian Forces can call you to be a member on a court martial, which is pretty much the same thing. I got called for that several times in the U.S. Navy, but always got thrown out when I raised my hand that I had relatives who were policemen.

 

does that work for former members too?

 

whenever I get called for jury duty, I try my hardest to get on the jury, as I get paid my regular salary, since I work i the public domain, but only have to show up for about half the time. However, I only succeeded once in getting on a jury in a malpractice case. What a bunch of jokers they were!; its way more interesting on TV