My first day on Jury Service..............

[funkyfred]

A guy I used to work with was on jury service (before I meet him) and he used to have an two armed guards with him 24 hours aday 7 days a week.
He was a big Crystal Palace supporter and they used to go with him to the matches, and sat outside his house at night.

He wouldn't speak about the case, but I think guns where a big part of it.

As for me, the first time I was called up I got a case where a very brave young girl of about 15 picked out a guy who broke into a house opposite where she lived. After the guy being found guilty, we found out he had a record as long as one of Smiffy's drives.

I got away with jury service the second time as my then boss wrote in saying that I was covering someone at work because of holidays and nobody else could do the work. Which was half truth/lie.

 

[richart]

After the guy being found guilty, we found out he had a record as long as one of Smiffy's drives.




That is a contradiction in terms !

 

[bobmac]

After the guy being found guilty, we found out he had a record as long as one of Smiffy's drives.




That is a contradiction in terms !

I think he meant it would stretch all the way passed the ladies tee.

 

[19th]

One of my pals was on a jury trying a man accused of a robbery which ended up in a murder.

The defence put up a spirited show but the fellow was found guilty.

My pal was musing over the case/verdict with the other jurors at lunchtime when they were approached by the officer in chare of the case.

He thanked them and then told them how they learnt who carried out the 'job'.

The daughter of the accused met her pal the night of the murder and told her pal that 'we are Ok tonight, dad came home with loads of cash, gave me some if I would wash his blood stained clothes before I came out here, so lets hit the town'

Pal, when the incident hit the press the following day, informed the police BUT her statement was not admissible in court.

Jurors ... big relief all round. Law ... a bit funny at times.

 

[Smiffy]

Day 4.
Arrived at Mid-day as directed.
Sat there until twenty past.
Told I wasn't needed, and to go home.
What a [****] waste of time.
Not needed tomorrow either but have to ring at 3.30 to find out what's going on on Monday

 

[USER1999]

You are still not selling this to me.

 

[richart]

Claim trouser expenses for having to sit on your ar.e all day

 

[viscount17]

I guess crime's in recession too.

When I was living in Brighton my neighbour was a Warder (they still called them that then) at Lewes. He was an ex-bootie and could be a really hard . . . , a fine deterrent to recidivists.

 

[forefortheday]

You are still not selling this to me.

Stop making Smiffy pine for his day job!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

You are still not selling this to me.

Stop making Smiffy pine for his day job!

Whatever that is!!!

 

[viscount17]

You are still not selling this to me.

Stop making Smiffy pine for his day job!

Whatever that is!!!

there's just no satisfying Smiffy, give him a holiday from a boss he doesn't like and he's still moaning.

 

[Smiffy]

There's just no satisfying Smiffy, give him a holiday from a boss he doesn't like and he's still moaning.

Errr...if it was "holiday" in the normal sense of the word I wouldn't be moaning Steve. But it's not.
I'm not getting paid by work for the time I have off, and you only get paid by the court if you do over 4 hours and then the rate is almost the equivalent of minimum wage, certainly not what I would be earning at work.
Plus they don't take into account commission, only your basic wage.
Not allowed to drive down there and claim mileage allowance, it's too expensive. Have to catch the train as I live close enough to the station.
They have all of our telephone numbers. Why can't they contact us first thing in the morning to let us know we're not required?
I ponced about getting ready, caught the train down on Thursday to be there for mid-day and at 20 past I was told to go home. Complete waste of a whole day for 20 bloody minutes.
I had to phone them yesterday afternoon to find out what is happening on Monday, have been told to be there for 10.30.
Wonder what will happen that day???

 

[Smiffy]

Whoohooo! The start of my 2nd week. Got there at 10.30, sat around until about 11.10 and then the court usher came into the room and read out the names of 14 people required for jury duties on the next case.
And I was number 10 called out!
I've got a case!! I've got a case!!

Lined up to be taken down to court 1, sat on the benches and the 14 name cards were shuffled up to pick out the 12 required to be "the jury".
When 6 had been called out and had taken their places in the stand, I was beginning to feel a bit "this isn't going to be my day".
Sure enough, 12 names called out, was mine one of them?
Was it bollocks.
Back upstairs to the waiting room to sit, and sit, and sit until I was told I could go home again at 3.00pm.


What I find difficult to understand is why I was still allowed to sit in the courtroom and not only see the accused but also sit through the charges against him even though it had been decided at that time that I wasn't going to be a juror???? Surely they should have sent me and the other guy that wasn't selected out of the court before they read the charges out?

 

[grumpyjock]

Thats because you are the 1st reserve for the case.
I had the whole two weeks sitting on my ass and the last day had a case for the next week.
Lad who came in the 2nd week had a fraud case that went on for 10 weeks.

 

[Pants]

Smiffy.

No post on this thread today.

Does that mean you have been called and can't talk about it?

One "wink" for yes, two for no.

 

[Smiffy]

Smiffy.

No post on this thread today.

Does that mean you have been called and can't talk about it?

One "wink" for yes, two for no.

I got called! Thought I was going to miss out again when we went downstairs and she shuffled the cards. No 10 I was. What an absolute joke too.
Can't say too much, but the case should never have been heard through the Crown Court, the Judge even got annoyed and asked why it hadn't gone through the Magistrates.
What a total and utter waste of money. Must have cost thousands.
It was over with by 4.15 and I'm back today to have another sit around. Let's see if I get called on something a little "juicier"