Jury Duty

[Julia]

Has anyone done jury duty and if so, could you describe your experience.

Thanks.

 

[ghotib]

Yes.

Troubling.

What do you want to know? Have you been called?

Ghoti

 

[Julia]

Yes.

Troubling.

What do you want to know? Have you been called?

Ghoti

Hi Ghoti,

Not actually called at this stage. But have received a notice saying I could be during September.

What was troubling about it from your point of view?

Julia

 

[jammin]

Has anyone done jury duty and if so, could you describe your experience.

Thanks.

Julia, I have been selected for 2 juries over the past 20 years and have enjoyed the experience. Do take a good book when/if you are required to attend for possible inclusion on a jury as there is lots of time spent sitting and waiting.
The positives for me were as follows;
Experiencing Police giving evidence. Evidence that contradicted the very detailed photos also supplied by the police.
Experiencing the Judges directions to the jury. (And how 12 people can interpret those directions in 12 different ways).
Being a member of a jury, trying to influence others to my way of thinking, testing evidence.
It has been very educational with regard to understanding how people make decisions, usually entirely from there own experiences, and hence with jurists from diverse backgrounds you get some very different ideas of guilt or innocence.
If you are selected I hope you get an interesting case.

 

[chops_a_must]

Has anyone done jury duty and if so, could you describe your experience.

Thanks.

I think this shows you all you need to know:



Also, the trick is to tell them you're prejudiced against all races.

 

[Gar]

I've been selected for dury duty twice in the last six months

Its fairly easy to be excused if you dont feel comfortable with it Julia

 

[ghotib]

I wasn't on a criminal jury. I was on a defamation case, and I found it troubling because the majesty of the law seemed to me to benefit nobody but the lawyers. We did our best within the instructions we were given, but I couldn't see that any side was going to end up with a satisfactory resolution. It bothered me enough that I wrote to a law reform commission after it was over - with about as much effect I'm sure.

Sorry I can't be more explicit: the case was sufficiently peculiar that if I give any details at all it would probably be identifiable.

I agree about the sitting around and waiting: one woman turned up with all her Christmas cards and must have written about 50 before I got called out of the room. I also agree about the experience of how different people make decisions.

All things considered, it's an important function and in a way it's a privilege, as well as a flaming nuisance Do your best and hope that everyone else does too. Homer notwithstanding.

Ghoti

 

[adobee]

I have been called twice, I find taking a copy of "Australian Shooter" a hunting magazine to peruse whilst waiting gets me of the hook very quickly.

 

[drmb]

I have only been called once, and managed to get empanelled even though I took friend's advice and wore a suit and tie, and carried copy of the Fin. Case was arson by a 15 year old, and ran for 4 days, mostly boring, and mostly we were in the jury room while they argued about something. Very boring, no reading material permitted in the jury room. The youth's defence did not call any witnesses and he gave unsworn evidence which indicated that he done it, but done it for good reason!! We took about 10 minutes to deliberate but spun it out to 30 mins so we could have afternoon tea!

 

[jammin]

I find taking a copy of "Australian Shooter" a hunting magazine to peruse whilst waiting gets me of the hook very quickly.

Absolutely brilliant adobee. A bit more subtle than playing the race card.
There must be a great range of reading material that you could display that would assist you to achieve your desired outcome (inclusion or exclusion from the jury). I was rejected by the empaneling process for a case that sounded very interesting.. a man charged with murder (of a prostitute). My reading material on the day may have been deemed inappropriate by the prosecution.

 

[insider]

I have been called twice, I find taking a copy of "Australian Shooter" a hunting magazine to peruse whilst waiting gets me of the hook very quickly.

Nice

 

[Julia]

Thanks, people.

I'm just bumping this in the hope of some more views this evening.

Your responses are appreciated.

 

[Mousie]

Wow, very interesting experiences I must say! Very educational especially since I've always been interested in all things law, just lack the opportunity to pursue it...

So...how did you people qualify to be called up for jury duty? What kinds of cases did you usually get? And are there any types of cases where juries are prohibited from participating in?

 

[Prospector]

For employment reasons, I wont ever be called for Jury duty but I love the idea of the shooters magazine.

If you are on the electoral roll you can be called up for duty. So it is random, but seem people get called more than once, others not at all.

It isnt financially viable for anyone who has a job because I believe your employer is not required to pay your salary if you are called (there is an expense limit of something like $40 a day!) nor parents with children who need them before/after school, and people who have 'obligations'. Which leaves unemployed and some retired people I guess. So any jury wont be a jury of peers as such, but a self select group.

For the most part it is a matter of sitting and waiting and then either being called in or dismissed for the day.

It is the prerogative of the defendent as to whether the case is heard before a jury or the judge; I reckon if you are innocent of a crime you would want to be heard before a judge; if guilty, go for the jury. Juries can be strange things - a fair degree of pre-judgement involved. Which is why there is a pre hearing by prosecutors and lawyers as to 'who is suitable' for their case.

It can also be frustrating; my mother (who was retired:, see!) was on a rape case and she felt that the person was guilty. But others were less inclined to believe he was, and I think the victim was a bit iffy (the days when a victim's character was questioned). So he was eventually found not guilty. Then the prosecutors were able to reveal other evidence that was unable to be presented pre-verdict - the guy had a few convictions for rape! So not a good experience for her and she became very dis-illusioned with so called justice. Which was probably a good thing in some ways because it did open her eyes that things were not always as they appeared to be. And there is no such thing as 'black and white'.

I think there should be more encouragement for others to go on jury duty so there is a more representative group of people involved. But getting tied up for weeks on end on a long and drawn out, and complicated case is not attractive either. Our 'body in the barrels' case lasted for 12 months I think

 

[Mousie]

LOL ok 12 months is extreme, but then there're some lawsuits that go on for years

Gee thanks lots Prospector, doesn't sound like my thing at all with the dragginess of it. The judiciary system certainly don't make being a jury very friendly for the electorate to participate in unless, as you pointed out, they're either retired or have an unconventional workday/night perhaps. That's their way of filtering certain types of people from participating in it, thinking off the bat...oh well

Looks like the jury selection process is somewhat controlled while giving a picture of transparency, where in actuality the types of people who're called up was already pre-determined to lessen complications for the judiciary. Doesn't sound like my idea of justice IMO.

Overall very eye-opening, thanks again

 

[Pager]

Jury duty, anyone done it?

Has anyone done this and whats it like ?

Got a summons today to attend, not sure if i want to do this although i realise that i have too attend otherwise its a $2000 fine but you can apply to be excused.

On the one hand it sounds interesting and i would also like to do my bit for the community but on the other it don't pay to much and I'm self employed so unless its for a week or 2 i may not be too keen.

 

[prawn_86]

Re: Jury duty, any one done it ?

Just go in dressed as a bogan and swear at everyone etc if you want to get out of it. Not the kind of jury member they would want

Never done it, would be interesting, but also annoying financially as you said

 

[Wealth Wizard]

Re: Jury duty, anyone done it?

yes, I did it a year or so ago, very interesting process.

"Just go in dressed as a bogan and swear at everyone etc if you want to get out of it. Not the kind of jury member they would want"

depending on the case this may be favourable for one side!

basically you get marched into the court room with all other potential jurors and each sides barasters will contest various jurors (generally based on the assumption that they will not look favourabley at their case)

If selected you will spend time in a room with other jurors while court is out of session, when I did it (case went for 3 1/2 weeks strait) we got paid for lunch etc each day, also pay scale moves up depending on how long you do it for.

I enjoyed the time and as a student at the time it payed well, however the case was a litlle disturbing and I did tend to get sick of staring at the same 11 people everyday! waiting around while judges/baristers discuss points of order etc can be frustrating, and their is no guarentee as to when the trial will finish (we were originally told 1 week max!), it was also dificult to come to our verdicts and some jurors were bias to start with. all and all a good experience.

 

[awg]

Re: Jury duty, anyone done it?

if u r self-employed, u should write in, especially if u r a sole-trader, with fixed weekly costs to pay.

it can be utterly soul destroying, and should be avoided like the plague.

u dont know what u will be assigned to. i know someone that got an awful rape case.

often there is huge conflict with other jurors.

the system treats u like sh*t....u r owned!!

most jurors are pensioners or unemployed

 

[Pager]

Re: Jury duty, anyone done it?

Pretty sad really that a lot of juries are made up of the elderly or the unemployed.

Re read my notice and the trial i have been summoned for is expected to last for 12 months you do get paid but it equals about $550 a week plus a few entitlements like a $6 lunch allowance

How the hell anyone with a mortgage/regular job/business is meant to cover the cost of living during even a week long trial let alone up to 12 months is beyond me.

Australian justice, no offence to the retired and unemployed but this is a joke, jury's should cover a wide spectrum of the community but the pittance on offer makes it only really viable for those either retired or very wealthy or simply don't want to work