Jury duty in today's economic climate

[FROSTY]

Hey folks just wondering how you feel about High Court Jury duty.
Or more important I guess the financial impact jury duty has on Jurors.
It seems to me that theres a huge gap between cost of living and the money Jurors get paid.
I'm thinking of the likes of the David Bain retrial or similar when its 6 to 8 weeks off work on $30 a day.

[JayRacer37]

Hey folks just wondering how you feel about High Court Jury duty.
Or more important I guess the financial impact jury duty has on Jurors.
It seems to me that theres a huge gap between cost of living and the money Jurors get paid.
I'm thinking of the likes of the David Bain retrial or similar when its 6 to 8 weeks off work on $30 a day.

Yeah it's fairly harsh there. Also, in today's economy, in the offices anyway, your performance stats will be down and a lot of people are being laid off based on those...

[PirateJafa]

Logically they should be being paid at least the minimum wage of $12 an hour.

$30 a day wouldn't even pay for the parking outside the Auckland court.

[YellowDog]

Jurors get their expenses paid (parking lunch etc.) plus a few $ extra.

They are probably not attracting the right calibre of person and if the payments will result in financial hardship then any excuse will be given to get out of it.

[James Deuce]

If you work for a decent employer they'll just keep paying you.

[Mully]

My contract provides for my full salary, LESS anything I get from the Court.

So my income would stay the same.

The only time I've been called, my employer wrote me a letter to get out of it (it was peak season). Gutted really, cos I'd be keen to have a go. I'd have to change my name to "hang-em high Mully"

For you, Frosty, I'd suggest you could get out of it on the grounds of self-employment and causing extreme hardship.

[p.dath]

Jury duty! It's worse being a witness.

I was stupid enough to help someone out about 18 months ago. The person I caught is having their case heard in the high court.

So far I have been subpeoned by the crown to appear on three seperate occassions, for a total of 9 days - and as of yet, have still not actually appeared in court. The crown solicitor has already told me I will be subpeoned for another 3 days.

As a subpeonoed witness I get NO compensation at all. It sucks being a witness.

I'm now far less likely to help someone in the future. Grrr. Angry.

[Big Dave]

I could not do it and stay in business. Been excused when called.

[Drunken Monkey]

Well technically they don't need to pay you anything, it's your civic duty to turn up.

Sod that though. The only time I got called up it clashed with a trip to Greece for a wedding I had already booked and paid for, so got I got out of it.

Jury of peers is an outdated system anyway, scrap it and replace it with professional jurors trained in police procedure, law and criminal psychology. I don't see why court cases should get decided by, more often than not, a bunch of losers too stupid to get out of jury duty...

[Genestho]

The only time I've been called, my employer wrote me a letter to get out of it (it was peak season). Gutted really, cos I'd be keen to have a go. I'd have to change my name to "hang-em high Mully"



Hah, funny you say that, I was called for Jury duty not even a month after my Husband and friends were killed. I wrote back and said to be quite honest, with the type of people I'd be facing as a juror, they'd be getting my very pissed off opinion in the light of the three deaths in the forefront of my mind.
I was very quickly dismissed from the call of duty.:shifty:

[p.dath]

Hah, funny you say that, I was called for Jury duty not even a month after my Husband and friends were killed. I wrote back and said to be quite honest, with the type of people I'd be facing as a juror, they'd be getting my very pissed off opinion in the light of the three deaths in the forefront of my mind.
I was very quickly dismissed from the call of duty.:shifty:

I'd have to say I'd be like you. I'd be pre-disposed to wanting to find someone guilty at the moment.

[Dooly]

I was last called several years ago.
We were flat out at work, and it really was'nt possible.
So I wrote a letter telling them that because of all my multiple fractures in a recent accident (true) and the pain and shit I suffer daily from it, i thought I would'nt be able to sit for long on a jury.
I said if you dont believe me, here's my doctor's number.........

Got a letter back a week later saying, 'sorry to hear about blah, blah, blah, we've decided to excuse you from jury duty for life!!!' 'Please keep this letter as proof if you are mistakenly called again.'

O for awesome!!!!:Punk:

[Beemer]

Considering I'm getting sweet FA work lately, I'd be rapt to be on a trial right now, at least I'd have a regular income for a while!

But to be honest, I've been on a jury once before and was pretty appalled at what passes for a jury of your 'peers' in today's society. I think they should have professional juries who are trained and who can actually understand and debate the real issues properly.

Edited to add, I hadn't seen Drunken Monkey's post but I'm 100% in agreement. The jury I sat on contained a woman who determined the guy was guilty right from the start because he had Maori friends... let's put it this way, I'd be shit scared to be faced with trial by jury if that can get you convicted in some people's eyes!

[Ragingrob]

$30 a day?! When I did Jury service I got over $200 for 4 days.

[GurlRacer]

I recently had to go to a court case, whereby my best friend was assaulted by a family member on 3 counts and the family member broke protection orders on 3 counts by her, and 2 counts by her mother.

Now, what I find complete and utter bullshit was that, the jury all looked to be stay at home Mom's or retired men. I thought this would work in our advantage... it didn't. The bastard got away with all counts, because he started crying and showed remorse. Didn't matter that evidence was overwhelming, or that she, to this day, is too scared to go anywhere on her own for fear that this person will be around the corner. Didn't matter that the Police arrested this person for obstruction either, for they would not let them into the house to retrieve the girl who had dialled 111. AND she had a doctors report, stating she did have swelling on the head and so on.

BULLSHIT.

[p.dath]

Considering I'm getting sweet FA work lately, I'd be rapt to be on a trial right now, at least I'd have a regular income for a while!


Ring them up and see if you can get on one. :-) Just slip in the word "guilty" every fourth word.

[Swoop]

I am happy that reasonable parking is now being paid to jurors.

Having been called up every two (frikkin') years, and been on a few juries...

[FROSTY]

For you, Frosty, I'd suggest you could get out of it on the grounds of self-employment and causing extreme hardship.
Heck no I wont be called up -that said there might be a letter in the mail tomorrow. It came up in conversation recently. The poor bloke can't get off Hes on reduced hours alreads so savings are out the window.
Yet they wont left him off

[Kiwi Graham]

In my job I can get excused for jury duty, have been called twice in 8 years.
It is a duty to attend if you can but if you are your family are going to suffer as a result you have every right to request not to.

[Maha]

I attended once, just to see what it was like...three days I think?
Was called up again but I knew the Registrar so got off, never been called again.

[Winston001]

If you work for a decent employer they'll just keep paying you.

That's all very well in a large workplace but most employers run small businesses - 2 - 8 staff. The cost to the employer of covering a staff member on jury duty is often too high to do so.

Agree that the basic rate of $31/half day is pitiful.

[ajturbo]

i will not do jury duty unless they pay me what i can earn on an average day..

so unless they find $450/day... sorry don't bother asking me.!

[Maha]

i will not do jury duty unless they pay me what i can earn on an average day..

so unless they find $450/day... sorry don't bother asking me.!

Wow! Street sweepers are well paid!

[Grumpy Gnomb]

Think we should all do our civic duty and convict as many people as possible

[YellowDog]

I understand that stating you are a KB member is enough to get you let off.

[Skyryder]

I've never been called up ever. Am I black listed:eek:


Skyryder

[ajturbo]

Wow! Street sweepers are well paid!
fuck off.. i'm not THAT well paid... i envy those buggers!!!

you will never be out of work....

[sunhuntin]

ive been called up once and got off on grounds of financial hardship. the company i work for is too tight arsed to pay the difference, and the other job im in are short staffed as it is [though i wasnt working there when the letter came]

i agree that the whole jury system should be scrapped and replaced with maybe uni students studying dna, forensics and fbi type stuff. i read tons of true crime, and understand most of the terms like blood spatter, and how decay works etc, but i dont think i understand enough to decide someones fate. and if i dont understand, then how on earth are mills and boon reading soccer moms gonna understand?

[JMemonic]

Some cases should not even have to go before a jury, the example stated in a previous post about a protection order being broken, sorry that one that should be automatic, any thing that has written penalties and can not be reasonably or legally explained bang.

If there is reasonable doubt ie no police were called to the event when the protection order was broken or the are no independent witnesses then it goes to jury trial.

Why should some person who has overwhelming legitimate evidence against then be allowed to get the courts time clogged up, get jury's selected then plead guilty upon entering the court wasting both time and money in our already burdened justice system, that should incur a penalty.

I think cases that go want to go to jury trial should have to go to a panel of judges first with the lawyers getting a maximum of 1 hour each to argue the benefit to society of this case being heard in front of a jury, then if they fail; to make satisfactory cases it can either be decided there and then or go to a trial by judge only, why well lets face it some of those folks who sit on jury's could not be trusted to sit the right way on a toilet set, and bring prejudice with them. Better screening of potential members needs to be better, and harder.

[Ixion]

Why should some person who has overwhelming legitimate evidence against then be allowed to get the courts time clogged up, get jury's selected then plead guilty upon entering the court wasting both time and money in our already burdened justice system, that should incur a penalty.

Trouble is , how do you know the evidence is overwhelming until it's examined. . And judges impose extra penalties usually on somone who pleads guilty at the last moment
I think cases that go want to go to jury trial should have to go to a panel of judges first with the lawyers getting a maximum of 1 hour each to argue the benefit to society of this case being heard in front of a jury, then if they fail; to make satisfactory cases it can either be decided there and then or go to a trial by judge only, why well lets face it some of those folks who sit on jury's could not be trusted to sit the right way on a toilet set, and bring prejudice with them. Better screening of potential members needs to be better, and harder.

Pretty much what happens at present. It's called a depositions hearing. The system is a lot more sophisticated than people assume.

[JimO]

i have just been called for the 3rd time and got off as im self employed and couldnt spare the time. will like to do it one day

[popelli]

Bottom line is it is so easy to get off jury service that most people do, would you trust your future to a group of people unable to excuse themsleves from jury duty if you were in the dock?

[JMemonic]

Trouble is , how do you know the evidence is overwhelming until it's examined. . And judges impose extra penalties usually on somone who pleads guilty at the last moment

It often seems for me that they get treated lighter because of this.


Pretty much what happens at present. It's called a depositions hearing. The system is a lot more sophisticated than people assume.

Thanks for the info I admit that not having spent time in the system I am blissfully unaware of the nuances of the system, it just seems too often the b'sarts I am involved in catching get away with burglary, assault and a raft of other charges with a slap on the wrist.

[Rockbuddy]

I have never been called for jury duty and im in my mid 40's. i would like to be on a jury once to see what its like. i have no convictions or anything so dont know why my name has never come up. and they complain that there is never enough people to do it, go figure