Jury Duty

[GaryO]

As some of you may know i was called up for Jury Duty about 2 months ago and i was dreading it affecting my anual leave , thankfully i wasnt required and im now able to enjoy my 3 weeks off.
Well last friday i received another call up , this time for a 30 WEEK trial
I was wondering who has done Jury Duty and how was your experience in doing so ?

 

[10fp]

Me too, i hav to front up 1st April. Guess it will be an Experience

 

[GaryO]

Im not sure i really want a 30 week one , im trying to work out what sort of case would last that long. I remember knowing a bloke who did a long trial for coparate fraud and said it was boring as bat shyte .

 

[blisters]

Wow thirty weeks 8) that must be a complex trial.
Jon

 

[rocketaroo]

I never wanted to, and used to fill the form out to get out of it. But I wouldnt mind being called-up now, am on the roll, so it may happen.

 

[Guest]

I don't envy you two, but in too many cases guilty until proven innocent is the assumption and guilty is the outcome. The fact that so many so-called trivial matters,which have a profound effect on the individuals life-long prospects and outlook, are seen as cash-cows to be milked for lawyers and fill wasted government coffers, is a sign of the fascist and elitist dictatorship we are evolving to, from a penal colony. Penal-capitalism is not Democracy.
And the assumption of being judged by ones "peers" is, except where a jury is used, an absolute joke. If I were to be judged by my peers, they would need to all be rural folk earning less than 50Kpa., who have been exposed to the harsh realities of life outside a cotton wool cocoon.
To be bedamned by a poncy snot-nose in a wig and left to rot by the dereliction of duty of overpaid children claiming to represent your interests is not justice.

Your calling may be the most important thing you do in or for someone elses life, so make it count.

 

[kawman]

tell them you will lose your job being absent for so long.. they may let you off..

 

[eadesy77]

Im not sure i really want a 30 week one , im trying to work out what sort of case would last that long. I remember knowing a bloke who did a long trial for coparate fraud and said it was boring as bat shyte .

I think if you have a holiday booked it is an excuse. Also maybe be better to just pay the fine, might be cheaper. 30 weeks is a long time. I don't know how a employer would take that. The employer may be able to write a letter on your behalf.

Cheers

 

[Heatho]

I have a brain injury and told them I have a memory like sieve and that it would not be fair to the accused if I were to sit on a jury, I was excused for life quick smart.

 

[GaryO]

Im not sure i really want a 30 week one , im trying to work out what sort of case would last that long. I remember knowing a bloke who did a long trial for coparate fraud and said it was boring as bat shyte .

I think if you have a holiday booked it is an excuse. Also maybe be better to just pay the fine, might be cheaper. 30 weeks is a long time. I don't know how a employer would take that. The employer may be able to write a letter on your behalf.

Cheers

Yeah normally if you have a holiday booked you just provide some proof and you would expect to be excused. The last time i was called my holiday comprised off camping , so i apart from pics of my camper trailer and high banker there wasnt any actual documentation. .. mother nature doesnt provide booking details . In this case it is after my holidays so that part is good.

 

[DrDuck]

Here is a page with the instructions re being excused from jury duty.

http://www.courts.justice.nsw.gov.au/Pages/cats/jury_service/excused.aspx

People in my line of work used to be automatically excused (I work for the police force as a criminologist, but am not a cop), but a few years ago they changed the rules. I did get picked once, and wore a suit. I was ready with a true story for the judge that I may have taught the detectives involved, or know them in some way. I figured the potential conflict of interest would get me off. The case was a older bloke having sex with a young girl in a small country village.

When the jury is selected you go and sit in the jury box, and stand up one by one, where the defence and prosecution get the opportunity to object to you. Well I stood up with my short haircut and nice suit, and the defence barrister immediately objected and I was off. So I did not have to tell the judge my story.

A 30 week trial is a long one - what is the jurisdiction - Supreme or District Court?

If you are employed the fee you will be paid for a long trial is $237.20 per day, which is $1185 per week if the court sits every day during the trial. Maybe it would be worth it for $35,000?

http://www.courts.justice.nsw.gov.au/Pages/cats/jury_service/payment.aspx

 

[GaryO]

Thanks Duck. Ill have to check if it Supreme or district court.
With the allowance you quoted , if that is less than you normal wage what happens with the dif ?

 

[silver]

And they feed you and you are allowed to drink alcohol with your meal too (just a glass is all though),... well thst was thirty years ago nearly !

 

[DrDuck]

Mate, I don't know about that, it would be less than normal pay for a lot of people. I note that public servants get to serve at their normal pay, and I can't see many private employers being able to pay someone to be away for 6 or 7 months. Maybe you could argue that you would not be able to keep up with your mortgage payments?

 

[Guest]

So if you were unemployed, i.e you would get less? And if you work for the gubment you get more..Yeah, right. A real fair system that is. The ones that need it the most get shafted, again, more.
Hey, I've got a great idea- how about only unemployed people get elected for jury duty?...Na, that wouldn't work, they'd be throwing the book at corporate criminals , dirty coppers and pedophiles,and letting off traffic camera fighters and other victims of gubment policy- can't have that. Ay.??

 

[Goldpick]

Tim, whilst I respsect your personal views, in this instance they are off topic, not directly related to the originals poster's question, and are bordering on being politically motivated. Please keep in mind our rules regarding discussions on political related themes, cheers.

 

[Magilla]

When you look at some of the decisions that juries come up with I think there is a strong case for IQ tests for jurors. The way it is now if you are guilty and can afford a good lawyer that can manipulate a jury you will probably get off.

A single judge system doesn't work either because some of them are out of touch with reality. Maybe a system with three judges would work better.

I was exempt from jury duty when I was working but received a call from them after I retired. I would have enjoyed the time but wasn't required, maybe next time.

 

[Guest]

Are you for real mate? My comments are not off-topic, nor of ANY political nature. On the premise of the original question, well it seems Gary O is the only one so far who would be able to reply. It would seem to me that you may have a vested interest in steering the conversation regarding jury duty in only a positive light. If highlighting disparity and unfairness is deemed political speech and therefore to be silenced, then there is a diminishing line here between open discussion and selective gagging.
In my first post here I made reference to the importance of jury duty within the concept of fairness and judgement by ones peers, as per the law, and after reading the following posts I merely highlighted how easily justice is skewed.
I have NEVER ONCE here on ANY post said Labor-bla-bla-bla, or Liberal bla-bla-bla, or Malcolm Turncoat bla-bla-bla.
You are drawing a very long bow calling anything I have said politically motivated.
You may not have noticed the very positive and very informative posts I have made within these pages, nor the general agreeance, despite some polarity, with my views.
A robust discussion that avoids personal attacks is essential in avoiding uninformed or disinformed opinions. If offence is taken because of truth, then it is not the time to shoot the messenger.

 

[GaryO]

All good Tim , but i guess the topic is about peoples experiences serving on a Jury and not so much the rights and wrongs of our legal system . Not disagreeing with your coments mate , but we are stuck with our current system at the moment and we would need a bigger stage than PA to change that.
Im more curious about whats good and bad about attending .

 

[GaryO]

And being unemployed could be a disadvantage , as you have explained . Must agree on that same job ,
should result in the same pay.