Mmm didn't know this

[The PIT]

Someone I know is on Jury service. Apparently when a trail starts and if you get selected your name is read out in front of the court and the defendant.
I wouldn't be happy about this luckily I'm not doing this but if I was in some drug gang shooting my name would be dead easy to look up.
I think that case I would refuse to go on the panel.

[Gurm]

Pretty much.



- Gurm

[GNEP]

Yeah they'd just need to type "The PIT" into Google and probably come straight round to MURC

[GuchiGuh]

Yeah they'd just need to type "The PIT" into Google and probably come straight round to MURC

LOL

[The PIT]

Originally posted by GNEP
Yeah they'd just need to type "The PIT" into Google and probably come straight round to MURC

Yeh I can just see Ant be held up by a hit squad asking for the IP address of The PIT.

[Brian Ellis]

Seriously, if the defendant/barrister/court did not know the names of the jury, how could a member of the jury be challenged for prejudice, knowledge etc. ?

Refusal to serve on a jury is classed as contempt of court, which is the only offence for which there is an indefinite prison sentence, at the judge's pleasure. It would also entail a criminal record.

[KvHagedorn]

I had an unpleasant experience with jury duty once, and resolved never to be suckered into doing it again. When I get a jury duty card now I toss it (I can always say the Mexican urchins next door steal my mail all the time.. so I didn't get it. ) They always send out 500 or so anyhow, so if 10% show up they have a decent pool to select from.

[RedRed]

Its you duty to be on a jury.

Should you be on trial, you would want to be tried by your peers.

RedRed

[Gurm]

No, no I don't.

Not when the definition of my "peers" includes the braindead unwashed masses.

Not when 99% of Juries in the city of Boston are composed of COLLEGE STUDENTS.

Yikes!

I'll take my chances with just a judge, thanks.

- Gurm

[Brian Ellis]

KvH

That wouldn't work in the UK. You are served a summons to appear at such and such court at a given time. If you are unable, for a valid reason (e.g., business trip to Oz or illness with medical certificate), you are given a chance to not appear at the stated time, but you will be re-summoned at a later date. If you simply ignore the summons, then you are arrested to appear before the judge for sentencing (usually 3 to 10 days in clink, unless you are cheeky or refuse to apologise to the court, in which case it's worse. Theoretically, you could spend the rest of your days behind bars, if you don't formally apologise!).

[The PIT]

Originally posted by Brian Ellis
Seriously, if the defendant/barrister/court did not know the names of the jury, how could a member of the jury be challenged for prejudice, knowledge etc. ?

Refusal to serve on a jury is classed as contempt of court, which is the only offence for which there is an indefinite prison sentence, at the judge's pleasure. It would also entail a criminal record.

Well let put it this way. Theres only two people in sheffield with my surname my mother and myself. They read the names out and bingo they can find one jury very quickly. Depending on whos in the dock I wouldn't be in court next day.

Prior knowledge of the case is nonsense anyway these days since major cases are splashed across every paper in the land.

[Brian Ellis]

Even worse if you don't turn up for the second day: If the police don't come and get you and you then apologise to the judge, it becomes a mistrial. If you were accused of causing a mistrial because of a tenous link to the defendant that the Crown decides to pin on you, well...

[The PIT]

Well my friend wasn't in today so I guess he got the case. Bets jumps everytime his phone rings.