(no subject)

[vyvyanx]

I've been called to do jury service next month. Have any of you done that? I have to say, I'm quite excited about it.

Comments

[emperor]

I never have, though my Dad's been called twice.

[bugshaw]

Here's my post on the dress code, from my stint a couple of years ago:
"They tell you to wear comfortable clothes as you'll be sitting a lot. Here's how it went down...
Day 1: fairly smart, 1-2 ties, women mostly in skirts and smart shoes.
Day 2: no ties, no skirts. Everyone in trousers and flat shoes.
Day 3: a few t-shirts, Rohan trousers and jeans with a pocket falling off.
Teen went from cleanest hoodie on Day 1 to black garment with rear picture of scary man and EVIL written on the back."

[vyvyanx]

Thanks! I don't think I'll be wearing a tie.

[liv]

I did jury service in the early 2000s, but it was in Scotland. Scottish courts are obviously going to be different; the major divergence was that jurors can decide on guilt on a simple majority rather than needing near unanimity, and also not all cases have 12 jurors, the size of the jury can vary depending on the complexity of the case.

For me it was a great experience, but partly cos I was a PhD student at the time and spending a week in court instead of at work didn't hurt me either financially or work wise. The big positive thing that came out of it was how thoughtful my fellow jurors were at taking their responsibilities seriously. When we were just chatting in coffee breaks, they were repeating stuff from tabloids and generally not giving the impression of being people I would trust to decide someone's fate. When we were actually deliberating as jurors, they all set politics and personal opinions aside and really made a huge effort to decide as justly as they could. So I hope you have an equally good experience.

[vyvyanx]

Well, that sounds very positive. Thank you!