Jury duty

[Tim Sheens]

I took a slightly different tact when I was called in. I looked for reasons why the dude may not have done it. I couldn't find enough to give doubt so I hung the mongrel. He later confessed in prison validating the groups opinion.

One thing I'll say is be prepared to stand firm as others will try to get you to change your vote based upon a myriad of reasons like sympathy for upbringing etc…it's a terrible system IMO.

I would not go so far as terrible as some simply can't see the forest for the trees, but there is certainly a lot of pressure to reach a unaminous position. I agree is not healthy and probably leads to jurors just relenting due to feeling such pressure or as more time passes, just simply wanting to get out of the room, despite the potential effect on the individual or community.

Oh well, another day of deliberation in our own little prison room coming up, with little confidence it will be the last.

 

[Tim Sheens]

Sorry guys I was hauled in for a line up,you take a number and stand against the wall,twice..

Might have to change your name TT, as you may be seen as the average Joe.

 

[Byron_Bay_Fan]

former guest, I was assaulted numerous times to agree within a very short time because the case took 2 weeks and not one week as predicted - no one cared about justice. But I held out and made them come back the next day to sort out a few issues.

 

[Tim Sheens]

My duty has been fulfilled and I can go back to getting on with my life, but unfortunately for the accused, life in the short to mid term is still in limbo.

We were able to get to that which for mine was a somewhat dubious consensus and find per my long held opinion for the defence on one count. For the other matterr, having gotten little if any further headway today, we were surprisingly discharged as a hung jury for the other charge after being asked to stay back.

I won't state much as one part of the matter is to be retried with a new jury, however for those interested, it was a reasonable amount of a narcotic that had progressed past the imported stage.

 

[Basil_Tiger]

Yeah I did a while ago now, and wasn't too concerned and was prepared to do my duty and all that.

Once empanelled, they read the charges, and they were very numerous child sex crimes, my heart dropped, I wasn't ready for that.

Yeah,similar to my experience,Sheriff called 15 of us from the Jury Room and led us into the Court room,Empanelled & charges read out,the guy had killed his 2 year old kid!!
Interesting story,whilst waiting for the defendant to be led into the dock this dishevelled guy,unshaven,looked like he had slept in his suit is led into the Court via the main doors and starts talking to a seated guy.We are all looking at him and many later said they thought he was the defendant,turns out he was the Defence lawyer and there was some sort of problem.
Anyway the Judge asked for the Jury to be excused and the Sheriff led us back to the Jury room,waited for about 3 hours then told we could go home,so happy to avoid that trial,
i hope your is a better experience.

 

[Tigermama]

I haven't had to do jury duty,but I was hauled into the back of a paddy wagon twice when I was in Wagga,apparently I looked similar to a knife wielding lunatic who assaulted a woman in a park..
The other time my height was the same as a man seen running away from a burgulary in an up market suburb…

Neither occasion did they positively identify me...both times they said I was there just to make up the numbers...I think I was to good looking and well mannered to be in amongst that lot...haha..
Very Scarry scenarios though and you do get a bit nervous....

Lol… Really TT? :laughing:

 

[Tigermama]

I received a summons for jury duty 10 years ago. The day before, i contacted the court to find out if the case is still scheduled and I'm still needed to attend. I was told yes, it's on.
Next morning i left home very early for the long three hour drive to Sydney.
When i got there, we were told the case has been cancelled and we are not needed. 😱pen_mouth:
There was no compensation at all. Not only did i lose a days wages, but i also had to pay for fuel to get there and back…Grrrrrrr :angry:

 

[Winnipeg]

I was on a jury for a drug case abt 15 years ago.

An Indonesian guy came into the country with 2kg of MDMA in pills and powder strapped to his legs. They only really caught him because they found a map to his drop off point in his luggage, thought it suspicious and took him for a more thorough search.

Felt a bit sorry for him, on his arrest video he kept saying 'you can't show this video on TV or they will hurt my family'

Also exposed some of the jury as being quite ignorant about drugs, one lady kept saying 'imagine how many lives we've saved getting these drugs off the street'. Sorry ma'am but it wasn't heroin, it was ecstasy - the most we did is probably ruin a few ravers' night out.

Anyway the guy changed his plea to guilty after 3 days. We spent maybe an hour in the actual courtroom over that period.

Most people were happy to be done with it, I didn't have a job at the time and was a bit disappointed :slight_smile:

I was actually a bit surprised to be empaneled, the prosecutor was throwing out any young people who got the call up, I was 18 at the time and wearing very casual clothes, he might have run out of challenges by the time I was called.