Jury Service.....

[craigb]

must be due for another drink.

Nah, you'd only feel even worse in the jury tomorrow.

Hang in there girl, you are doing a good thing.

[boban]

"I dont think I can be objective your Honour". Best excuse and works every time.

But I think its absolutely necessary that we (but not me or Dan) respect the system we have. It can be a pain and lengthy but well worth it.

[AlexS]

Sympathy Ruffly. Was on one for 5 weeks a few years ago. Even though, by the end of the trial, we had all reached the same decision, we went over it in detail to be sure as we could be that we had it right. I still think about it occasionally, but I don't lose sleep because I know that we did the best we could. Take others' advice, do the best you can and leave it behind when the trial's over.

[Clinton1]

The missus was an interpreter for a pretty unspeakable case once... if the case you are in is ugly then yep, it'll stay with you, but it will fade.

Not 100% nice I know, but I guess thats the price we pay for taking responsibility for our society.
Bit like a scary rollercoaster when you are a kid, you can't get off the ride, but once you are back to normal life then the ugliness becomes more and more remote.

Life's a trip, hey.... who needs drugs?

[Pat]

Afte 10 beer at the risso', Wendy behave and do your best.
We will still be here for you!

Ps a few of my mates are in DanP's profession . . . makesa for interesting berry sessions!

[Iain]

Like DanP I do not qualify for jury duty, but having spent some 70% of my public service life in court I think I have done my bit, generally in the form of expert advice for the prosecution.
There are still some heavy ones that wake me up with a jolt at night, usually involving children.

[Wood Borer]

I take my hat off to DanP and Iain who have spent so much time in those sterile and slow moving places.

I have been in court on four occasions for speeding - Magistrates Court, witness to hit run - Magistrates Court, jury - County Court and chararacter witness - County Court.

Jury duty was the most boring but then I felt a little bit more in control of my destiny rather than trying to act and speak in the best way to reduce a penalty or gaol term to someone who sees people greasing up to them each and every day.

Results $200 and three days suspension of licence , hit run driver found guilty , gaoled the accused , and the accused fraudster got a suspended sentence (pity because he was murdered shortly after ).

[Simomatra]

My sympathy Wendy

When I lived further out west than you I also got caught for the foremans job

We did the right thing and convicted the person for murder but basically they ended up witha slapped wrist

A total waste of a weeks jury service and loss of normal work

Stay in there

Cheers Sam

[DanP]

Can you all stop talking about me... I'm getting a complex. :eek:

Dan

[DanP]

Thanks for the reddie Shedhand. If you couldn't figure out I was joking when I said they're all guilty, then you obviously have no sense of humour. :mad:

Dan

[echnidna]

Thanks for the reddie Shedhand. If you couldn't figure out I was joking when I said they're all guilty, then you obviously have no sense of humour. :mad:

Dan

Dan, it must be great to have a job where the customers always wrong

[Termite]

Thanks for the reddie Shedhand. If you couldn't figure out I was joking when I said they're all guilty, then you obviously have no sense of humour. :mad:

Dan

Antidote has been sent.

[DanP]

Dan, it must be great to have a job where the customers always wrong

I don't call the crooks customers. The customers are the victims.

I was going ot make comment on how we get crooks to court (not - "in the van") but I'll leave it till RR is no longer empannelled. I wouldn't want to taint her judgement

Dan

[RufflyRustic]

You know, the jury service thing wouldn't have been so bad by itself, but considering everything else extraordinary that I've had to deal with over the last 6 months both workwise and personally, I think I'm surviving fairly well, but I think it's fair to say sorry, enough, stop the world I want to get off for a while

Thanks Dan - perfect timing by the way, we deliberated for 6 hours and now that it's been on the local 6pm news, we had to consider 6 charges, the worst being attempted murder - not guilty.

Intense, Very intense and stressful, my head is still thumping.

Sorry Pat - I didn't behave and am not going to behave tonight either (I think I have just enough V&O left)

Dan - I got the joke you made in your first post - funny how HWMNBO had made exactly the same joke not an hour before. After this one instance, it's enough to show me that it's very fair that police are not called to be on juries.

The bad news - I still have to go back next week to be empanelled for antoher jury. Juror support counselling is looking good.

The good news - this case is over.

Guys - thanks for the support and the stories. It all helps.

Wendy

[doug the slug]

Well Done Wendy,

At times it doesnt seem fair to the ones it happens to that they have to make the hard calls on behalf of the rest of our society. but if any of usa ever find ourselves on the other side of the fence either rightly or wrongly, its good to know that people like you (and your fellow forumites who have gone through the same experience) take their responsibilities seriously. (not to mention danp ands boban and other people who have an involement in the legal process)

Its a complicated process and i dont envy any one of you in this process but its a dirty thankless job that someone has to do, and you dont even get a greenie for it, in real life that is, in here i might pass a couple round to ease teh pain