Jury Summons

[surreyman]

Received a letter this morning telling me i have been selected for jury service ( first timer ) at Kingston Crown Court in February (quite looking forward to it in a weird way).
Looking for any advice on what to expect or tips on how to make the time as agreeable as possible, maybe some do's & dont's based on your own experiences.
TIA.

[Bazile]

Don't expect it to be like 12 angry men .

Probably be dead boring

[tonyav]

Prepare to be bored.

[tonyav]

Take something to read, lots of waiting around.

[cashier]

If you read, take a book, I spent a lot of time doing nothing. Didn't get called, was bored most of the time. Nice people in same position.

[Canary42]

Yes, certainly be prepared to be bored. Even in the jury box, because the barristers are the biggest bores on earth.

Don't turn up in suit and tie, unless you want the rest of your jury to pick you as Foreman (which is what happened to me on my first stint).

If you do get to be Foreman, be wary of more than one discussion opening up in the jury room.

[nailit]

My sister once got called for jury service. She loved every minute...

I once had a jury trial at crown court and found it all a farce!

One family, two perspectives.....

[Neveracrossword]

Nailit, two trials (two cases, two juries, two sets of lawyers...)would usually result in two perspectives, surely? Now if you'd both been at the same one and found the experience totally different, that would be another matter.

[Peter Pedant]

Take a book and a newspaper and a pen.
Trousers and open neck shirt
take a bath at least on the Monday - even if you dont need it

you can write to the judge - either by yourself or in the name of the other 11 -who clearly have to agree
Perhaps a question you all want to know the answer to - the writer has to sign and date

( we reported shouts of "it had better be not guilty!" as interference from the defendants' relatives. )

canteen awful, we were let out for lunch

I had four days fallow - you have to take a good book
It is big stuff - people go to Prison and lose their jobs on your say so

[Atheist]

Last time I went, there was a woman in the herd who was called the name of a film star. The bloke in charge of calling out the gangs of twelve really loved being able to call out "Joe Bloggs; Jack Miggins; Debbie Reynolds!" It lightened up our otherwise tedious day.
Definitely take a book or two - or your phoney-thing so you can wave your hand around and play patience.
Apart from that, just do with the flow. If you get the chance, be the chairman of the jury. It only involves sitting there looking wise and inviting assorted oddbods to suggest various angles. Of course, it is then you who has to stand up in court and declare your verdict in front of a crowd of the acused relations, or whatever.

[Ellipsis]

I did it twice, one was full on and sent a nasty piece of work (it turned out) down, one was very dull and never even saw a case in two weeks.

In both cases, I needed a book, or these days a Kindle, phone or iPad ...

[tonyav]

I think he means he was the defendant, Neveracrossword.

[JimF]

You can bring your mobile phone, tablet or laptop into the court building and use it in the jury assembly area, but not into the deliberation room. The court will most likely have lockers or somewhere you can safely store your personal items, and free wifi.

[Peter Pedant]

yes....no
its big stuff - the 16 y o we agonised over
we were aware that if we convicted, he had a 60% chance of going back inside later, and a 75% chance of never having a job - - - at 16!

( later on someone said -we all thought you were gonna let him go)

[Neveracrossword]

Thanks, Tonyav - useful information, but I think that's a scenario where the chances of Nailit and his sister sharing a perspective would have been approximately nil from the start!

[tonyav]

Most likely, depends on what cases you sit on ( if any at all ).

[nailit]

I had a split jury.
The Judge insisted on taking a majority verdict,
The way it was worded was that he wanted to go home ASAP and wasnt prepared to let anymore deliberations to continue.
So much for justice....

[nailit]

//the chances of Nailit and his sister sharing a perspective would have been approximately nil from the start!//

Jumping the gun there a bit.
You are so wrong...
When it came to my own trial, my sister was in the gallery.
Couldnt believe how contrived it all was.

[anneasquith]

It’s not unusual for the prisoner to plead guilty at the last minute. You may not be required .

[nailit]

//It’s not unusual for the prisoner to plead guilty at the last minute//
Its not unusual for the prisoner to plead not guilty either...because he isnt!

[Neveracrossword]

Nailit, I wasn't jumping the gun. Your earlier post referred to your sister being on a jury, your second referred to her witnessing your trial, which she said was 'contrived'. It might have been interesting to hear the view, perspective, of a jury member on your trial.