Oh yay, a juror summons.

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I vaguely remember getting and ignoring one of these before lol. Just
Got one in the mail for a criminal trial in February that’s expected to last 7 days. I guess I’ll have to read the details and see what’s what, might have to show up for selection and all that, and if selected I might have to spend a week deciding someone’s guilt or innocence.

I have other things to do, but I’m Also kinda if interested in doing this.. for the different experience I’ve never had, for being involved in the process, doing a bit of a public service duty etc.

Hmm, I wonder IF I have to do it IF I’m going to enjoy it OR be annoyed that I have to go there all week and listen to blah blah blah. It might depend on how interesting the case is or isn’t. A 7 day trial suggests it’s not a super simple case, but also not a high profile organized crime case or something either. Hmmm - well, we may as well use this thread to speculate.

If you don't want to serve, just tell the judge, ",I can spot a guilty person just by looking at him!" (I think George Carlin said that.)

I got summoned once a few years back, but was excused because I was the primary caregiver to my mother at the time. I would lived the experience, though, because as a writer I'm always eager for an experience that provides good material for an article.

I kinda wanna do it, but at the same time high risk covid ppl are exempt. I’m not personally high risk, but I live with an extremely high risk person. Not sure if that qualifies me to be exempted or not Or what said person thinks of my potential participation or not yet.

You have to sit for long periods of time in uncomfortable chairs.

In 1986 I was called up for a two week stint of jury service. For the first week, our group just sat in the courtroom canteen, unaware that the people 'in charge' had lost the list containing our names and therefore were unaware of our existence. When that got sorted, I sat on three cases over the next few days. I won't give the details, but a couple of them were real 'eye-openers'. lol.

Twenty years later, feeling bored and at a loose end, I went along to the same courthouse to sit in the public gallery and observe the proceedings. After about two or three hours, nothing had happened in the courtroom and then an official came in and told us to go home, the reason being that the lawyers had lost some vital documents and so the case could not proceed.

The next day, I went there again, hoping for better luck. Sat there for an hour or two, then a court officer appeared and told everyone to go home because the defendant had apparently disappeared and the proceedings were suspended.

I didn't bother showing up for a third day. Needless to say, all of the above left me with a pretty cynical view of the British Justice System.

I got called up for jury duty once when I was a uni student. Ultimately though I was only called to the courthouse once. And before juror selection could even begin, we were all sent home for the day because the air conditioning in the courthouse wasn't working. We weren't called back either, so I never got to sit on a jury.

In 2007, I got a jury duty summons

I sent the court a copy of my autism diagnosis

Did not hear back from them for ten years

Then another jury duty summons

Sent another copy of diagnosis

2021 got a jury summons

Sent a copy of diagnosis

They still told me to go

Went

By the time I got there they told me that they had enough jurors already

Wasted time, cash, and energy, just to go to jury duty. Only to get dismissed

At least it was only that one trip. For most people they lose money every time they go there. Gas/parking/public transit fees and mostly lost wages. It can be expensive to do the right thing and sit on a jury - especially if it’s a long criminal trial.

If you have a medical issue, then write back to the person
in charge of selecting jurors about your problem.

I have epilepsy and this has kept me out of courtrooms.

I don't personally have a medical issue that would exempt me. But I live in a household with a senior cancer/heart patient with Zero immune system about to start another round of chemo tomorrow, soooo, they're extremely high risk for covid & I wouldn't want to bring it into the household from having say in a courtroom all day. There may be some sort of exemption for that.

Get excused, wooo!!

Emailed them the truth and told them I live with my senior father with multiple extreme high risk pre-existing conditions that may make Covid a death sentence.

Had one recently, a personal injury civil case. I was not selected in the random drawing. Still got paid for showing up, and paid for the day at work. Those who got selected supposedly would have received a nice boxed lunch...

I've received a jury summons on three occasions:

The first two were in a big city:

1) The first time I was something like juror #45 in a panel of 50 jurors. It never got up to me. The case involved some kid selling counterfeit drugs to the police. Since I didn't make it on the jury, I talked about the case with the prosecutor on the elevator. I'd have loved to be on the jury.

2) The second time I was on a jury panel that was sent to the courtroom for a case involving someone burglarizing a house around the corner from mine. We all sat around outside the courtroom for an hour before being called in. The judge told us that the defendant had changed to a plea of guilty and so there was no trial.

3) The most recent was in my home county. I received the jury summons to appear on Monday morning. As is customary in this county, I called the sheriff's office non-emergency number on Sunday night and learned that the trial had been cancelled so there was no need to show up.

I got permanently removed from the jury list by writing the judge and telling them I was mentally ill and wouldn’t be able to remember what anyone said in court.

Lol my mom and grandma tried to use the language excuse... They were offered a translator.

I went first time out of curiosity. When it becomes a hassle maybe I'll do something about it.

I'd be careful about claiming mental illness and lack of capacity as that might create legal problems for you later, or make it easier for someone to take over your affairs if you admit to having been incapacitated.

Had been summoned once , let them know , I was disabled . But also knew if I got on any jury , it would probably end a hung jury. I tend to rationalize things to death seeking understanding. Especially if it involves someone’s freedom.