The Vent and Rant Thread

[Gardenman]

Originally Posted by Blossom

We do. The way it works where I am at. You are pulled from the voter registration. They send you a questionnaire. In the questionnaire is a time period for service which is two months. During that time you can be called for jury selection at anytime.
I was. I wasn't picked. I'm good now that my time is over for two years.

I got to sit in the jury box during the vetting process. The courtrooms are small and there was no room left. It was an open forum. It took all day. The plaintiff's lawyer was a joke and very long winded even the judge was frustrated and hungry by the time it was over. Two long hours. The defendant's lawyer was totally professional and got her questions done in thirty minutes. It was an eight hour day. Alot of waiting. No electronics allowed. It was stressful because the people did want to be there and the lady I was near had just lost her husband and wouldn't stop crying. She wanted out of there. There was one guy who wouldn't stop talking loudly and they shut the lights off so we sat in the dark for over an hour. No refreshments.

Sent from my Nexus 7

Where I am you never know if you will be called until you get a notice in the mail. You do not know if you will ever be called again.

[Dazrin]

I was called for the first time ever last year (county court) and then got selected again this year (the 21st) for state court. Yay. Low juror number too so most likely will be at least be called to show up.

[5thWiggleWife]

Here in Ontario, you get sent a questionnaire to fill out and return so your eligibility can be checked. Then you wait.

If you are chosen you receive a summons through the mail about a month before you are to appear. You go to court on the day and time specified. No skipping or you get in Trouble.

You can ask to be excused before your summons date if you would experience “hardship” such as medical, employment, personal, schooling or vacation circumstances. You may be excused or postponed until a better time.

From what I understand, once you arrive, you go into the selection room with something like a hundred other people, get divided into sections, watch a video about the process, and wait. And wait. You get called by section into a court room where you go in front of the judge and the lawyers. You are told about the case, answer questions and be either chosen or sent back to wait some more.

If you are chosen you are given the trial date - could be later in the same week or the next. If you are not chosen you go back and wait until your section is called again. This goes on day after day until they have run out of cases needing juries. Then you get dismissed. You could be in selection for up to 5 days.

After you serve or are dismissed you are not called again for three years.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Gardenman

What is the period of eligibility in England? I never heard of such a thing in the US

Ages 18 to 75.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Blossom

We do. The way it works where I am at. You are pulled from the voter registration. They send you a questionnaire. In the questionnaire is a time period for service which is two months. During that time you can be called for jury selection at anytime.
I was. I wasn't picked. I'm good now that my time is over for two years.

I got to sit in the jury box during the vetting process. The courtrooms are small and there was no room left. It was an open forum. It took all day. The plaintiff's lawyer was a joke and very long winded even the judge was frustrated and hungry by the time it was over. Two long hours. The defendant's lawyer was totally professional and got her questions done in thirty minutes. It was an eight hour day. Alot of waiting. No electronics allowed. It was stressful because the people did want to be there and the lady I was near had just lost her husband and wouldn't stop crying. She wanted out of there. There was one guy who wouldn't stop talking loudly and they shut the lights off so we sat in the dark for over an hour. No refreshments.

Sent from my Nexus 7

Sounds like a whole lot of fun.

[BetterRed]

As a generality the US doesn't have committal hearings before a magistrate as exists in UK, which stem from a series of acts that reformed the England & Wales and Scottish justice systems in mid 19th century. Many of Britain's then colonies inherited similar systems.

BR

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Gardenman

Where I am you never know if you will be called until you get a notice in the mail. You do not know if you will ever be called again.

Me, too, and you know what? I am NEVER chosen. I am always either still there, after the voir dire, and a leftover, or, I'm excused--someone doesn't want me. Thus, nearly every 18 months, without fail, I get called to Jury Duty. It's aggravating as hell.

Spoiler:

I'm a firm believer that one side, or the other, does not want smart jurors. Whichever side is relying more heavily on obfuscation or people being stupid never wants people who can think. Thus, if you show signs of intelligence, you're OUTTA THERE.

Hitch

[cromag]

We have lived at our current address for more than 25 years.

I have been called for jury duty once -- I showed up, stayed the day waiting to be called, and went home. I haven't been called since.

My wife gets called every four years or so. For some reason she's getting very upset with me.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by cromag

We have lived at our current address for more than 25 years.

I have been called for jury duty once -- I showed up, stayed the day waiting to be called, and went home. I haven't been called since.

My wife gets called every four years or so. For some reason she's getting very upset with me.

It's like tax audits. If you're never called up randomly, you're usually never called. But, get in their sights ONCE, and you are Doomed For Life.

Hitch

[Gardenman]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Me, too, and you know what? I am NEVER chosen. I am always either still there, after the voir dire, and a leftover, or, I'm excused--someone doesn't want me. Thus, nearly every 18 months, without fail, I get called to Jury Duty. It's aggravating as hell.

Spoiler:

I'm a firm believer that one side, or the other, does not want smart jurors. Whichever side is relying more heavily on obfuscation or people being stupid never wants people who can think. Thus, if you show signs of intelligence, you're OUTTA THERE.

Hitch

Tell them you believe in Jury nullification and I bet you will never hear from them again.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Gardenman

Tell them you believe in Jury nullification and I bet you will never hear from them again.

Actually, after being called nearly TWENTY times, since 1979, without being used--ever--I finally had enough and gave them a medical excuse (which happens to be valid, but I hadn't used it the last 4+ times), saying I couldn't stay seated on a hard surface, without frequent breaks, for that many hours a day. It's accurate, and all that, but I don't like using medical excuses, for nearly any reason. But I was just SO FED UP with all the driving, parking, schlepping, just so someone could decide to voir dire me out (and you STILL don't get to leave until 5, mind you...), I mean...enough. If they'd asked, I'd have told them the bottom line--either use me, or stop bloody calling me.

Hitch

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Gardenman

Tell them you believe in Jury nullification and I bet you will never hear from them again.

What's jury nullification? Don't think we have such a concept here.

[Gardenman]

Originally Posted by orlok

What's jury nullification? Don't think we have such a concept here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification

Juries are not told abut this because Judges are afraid Juries will use it.

Yes you do have this in the UK

http://ukcriminallawblog.com/jury-nu...e-right-thing/

[silverraven]

That is why I mentioned jury nullification. Last time I was called in I was selected for a case for marijuana possession. I don't care what the laws are, I think it's stupid in this day and age to prosecute anyone for possession of pot. So, if the guy hadn't plea bargained out I would have given my opinion on that particular law. I'm sure I would have never sat on that jury!
S

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Gardenman

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification

Juries are not told abut this because Judges are afraid Juries will use it.

Yes you do have this in the UK

http://ukcriminallawblog.com/jury-nu...e-right-thing/

Ah, okay. So it's not a legal thing (as in a law) but about jurors exercising their right to ignore the direction of a judge and vote with their conscience. Thanks.