Be vewy, vewy careful what you say in this thread.
There are strict laws and penalties relating to jurors who blab about details of cases they are on or, I assume, have been on. So, if you’re gonna comment here, please be careful.
Speak in generalities, NO SPECIFICS!
I’ve been called for jury duty three times and got on a case twice. It was a fascinating experience. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to be called up again. You get paid by the court system and you get paid by your employer.
Do you have any interesting stories to tell about jury duty? You go first.
I spent 6 odd weeks on a murder case. Involved police going undercover to create a fake mafia and breaking people out of jail. Straight out of a movie.
Incredibly interesting but draining. The nature of the case was pretty gruesome and it took a lot of deliberation. Not the type of verdict you want to get wrong.
I was speaking to people in the lunch rooms who had been on jury duty for 6+ months (!) on a people trafficking case, was thankful I didn’t get that.
I was called up every year in my early 20s but kept postponing it due to uni exams. It was always an ordeal to get out of as well. Signed declaration in front of witness. Reasons had to be valid etc etc.
So after a few years and what felt like a heap notifications and jury duty call ups. I finally decided to go. Went in and into the lobby. They warned us of a couple of things. About the ageing building and hearing acoustics. Expectations of the juror and jury. They went through a briefing on the type of cases they currently had. Warned us that there were some significantly large cases all over the news the weeks leading in and that this case was probably going to drag on for a considerable amount of time. They warned us to try and avoid the media outlets and discussing the case outside of the courtroom. It was all very exciting.
Then they asked for people who didn’t wish to participate due to hearing problems. So I went up to the desk and advised that I was deaf in my left ear. They summoned an official and I scurried off to a room to answer some questions and fill out a form stating I was deaf in my left ear. I signed it and left.
Why didn’t I just do that the first time around ffs
Wow. the longest I was on a case was 9 days. The lunch breaks, and breaks in general, are really long! Awesome when you are allowed to go out.
The time I didn’t get called on a case, this other guy and I, who were bored shitless, started walking down the street to the pub which had a TAB and pokies. It might be a good thing they don’t breath test jurors, but we didn’t get called anyway.
The first time I went all the way to selection, but the case was thrown out in five minutes. They charged a guy with drunk driving for passing out in his car (wasn’t running).
The second time, I got dismissed in the first round of questioning, probably because it was obvious that I was a socialist.
Many years ago, the old man was called-up and ended-up on a jury which didn’t reach a verdict by the end of the day on a Friday. The jurors were isolated and put-up in a hotel (without access to radio, TV or newspapers) in town over the weekend so they could resume on the Monday. He was given the opportunity to call home and let us know the situation, and that was it.
I do remember my Mum - with my sister and I being young-ish kids at the time - being less than impressed.
I got called in the 18 or whatever that get walked past the lawyers, got called from the back, and almost made it to the jury box before the defence lawyer said nup. Oddly deflating experience.
Case was a busdriver who was alleged to have nicked something like $20k in petty change, over 10 years.
If it was a working class in the dock, the old crim defence barristers used to ask to inspect the hands and palms of potential jurors.
A friend who worked in the lower criminal courts held to the view that female jurors went harder in child abuse cases. just from watching the body language and questions
I’ve been called up 3 times but avoided it due to being employed in an essential service.
Years ago a mate of mine who is 6ft4in tall and had his hair died to look like a soccer ball tried to get off a murder jury in a case against an Asian gang. He was still selected so his last attempt was to try and stare down the defendants to have them blow up at him so he would be excused. When we asked how he could be so stupid, he replied “we all look the same to them”. Very misplaced attempt at humour but that’s the way he was.
