Prejudice against biker pays off

[slofox]

I've been summoned many times in the last 26 years. But since I am self-employed and in a parlous financial state they always let me off...pays to be poor.

[ducatilover]

perhaps not for much longer

That'll be a piss easy job, I'm in.

[Virago]

...I guess the helmet and leathers in addition to the biker stereotype in her eyes added up to someone she thought wasn't going to help the prosecution...

You could be challenged for any reason - age, ethnicity, where you live, occupation, blah blah. It's easy to jump on the prejudice bandwagon, but rather pointless.

I've had the call-up twice - both times been challenged and never made a jury. I guess they're prejudiced against short-arsed white middle-class males...

You can be challenged by either the defence or prosecution, at any time from the time your name is called until your bum hits the jury bench. At one of the trials I was called up for they had a huge juror turn-out, and both lawyers were taking it in turns to challenge repeatedly - and in the end seemed to be having a game to see how close to sitting they could get a potential juror before challenging. It ended when the judge ruled that a juror had actually sat down, and he over-ruled the challenge - and made a pointed remark about "game over".

[schrodingers cat]

I got called up a couple of years ago and it turned out to be that Clayton Weatherspoon asshole.
I never got picked but simply watching him walk to the stand and say a couple of words I could have mailed my verdict in there and then.

[davereid]

I have been called for a few jurys, and been on a couple.

But I have made my views on a wide range of subjects widely known and don't expect I would be able to enter a jury unchallenged now.

I won't convict on principle on a wide range of cases regardless of the wording of the law.

My view is the bill of rights is absolute. Even if another law allows it to be ignored I will not. So any case where the bill of rights has been breached, even if allowed for in law, I will ignore evidence collected in breach of the BOR.

Same as legislation passed under urgency. I will ignore the letter of the law, and look at the wider principles. Even if its shown that the law was broken, but I think the law should not exist = not guilty.

Take the illegally gathered evidence against the Urewera 4. No point showing me. The evidence was collected contrary to the BOR. So I will not consider it.

[nzmikey]

So how does 1 end up on this shit train to nowhere ??

[pritch]

So how does 1 end up on this shit train to nowhere ??

It's the kind of raffle you don't want to win. I suspect they use the electoral rolls?

I was excused the only time I've been called. Three people I know have been on jury duty and all three thought most of the rest of the jurors were idiots. Didn't listed to evidence or legal arguments, but came to their decisions because of the appearance of the accused: his colour, his complexion, his cardigan, or other such nonsense.

The Receptionist at work was called a few months ago and was keen to serve, turned out she knew the Crown Solicitor, the defence lawyer, and the accused. She asked one of the staff to pass a message to the judge. His honour then announced to all and sundry the she would be excused because of her occupation. She was actually pissed off.

[Macontour]

I got excused a few times, worked for a small company and being short of staff would have been a hardship but while between jobs I got called and attended. Got challenged the first day and sat on a trial on the second day.

The toing and froing between the prosecution and defence was silly at times but the debate in the jury room was pretty robust. Ended up with a hung jury, the second one for the case as the Judge informed us later.

It was interesting to be part of our "justice" system and see how it works.

I also defended myself years ago on a "careless use" charge. Still got convicted but felt that I got off pretty lightly. The Judge seemed pleasantly surprised to deal with someone wearing a nice shirt and tie, who looked him in the eye, addressed him as Sir, had a good work history, was articulate and had well thought out arguments and provided a written reference that caused His Honour to say "thats a very good reference, I wish I had got ones as good as that when I was younger"!!!

He even said that I was unlikely to lose my licence after I explained the difficulties that would cause and when the Police Prosecutor played his Trump Card, my "previous history to be taken into consideration", the Judge looked at it and pointed out that they were all pretty minor and the last one had been about 6 years prior so he wasn't really concerned.

Still got found guilty which was not unexpected, I was just trying to minimise the punishment and figured I had more at stake than some Lawyer who would just cost me more money.

[FJRider]

The public (and Lawyers) perception of bikers is bad enough to get challenged ... and dismissed from jury service .... And you like that ??? Perhaps this will start helping you to understand why the law makers may pass laws, to the detriment of those (us) nasty bad bikers.

It is not an image ... or perception that is really in our long term interest ...

[nzmikey]

It's the kind of raffle you don't want to win. I suspect they use the electoral rolls?

I was excused the only time I've been called. Three people I know have been on jury duty and all three thought most of the rest of the jurors were idiots. Didn't listed to evidence or legal arguments, but came to their decisions because of the appearance of the accused: his colour, his complexion, his cardigan, or other such nonsense.

Mint so there is a great chance I wont be called up since i aint enrolled to vote. ( & before any of you go on the " it is illegal not to be " & "the if you dont vote you cant winge train " yes I know all of this )

& 2nd of all yeah I would prob be the same ..... Take 1 look at him / her ..... Nup guilty as sin due to race / colour .

[jrandom]

I've been called up once. Got myself excused because I was working on a contract development job at the time and hell would've frozen over before the client would've accepted me disappearing for two weeks.

Of course, this is a problem with the system. Basically, anyone with a real job can and does get excused. I rather suspect that this tends to result in juries formed of whatever mouth-breathers society can spare because they weren't doing anything useful.

If I'm ever (unjustly) charged with anything criminal, I'm going to ask for a judge-only trial.

[Usarka]

+1 on the judge trial.

From my single experience, in a room full of lawyers and police, the judge was the only caring and honest person in the room. Except for me of course

[Bald Eagle]

Never been called for jury service I 'spect theres a mark on my file says ex '50 , even though I've been out since 91

Sent from my MB525 using Tapatalk

[BMWST?]

i been called a few times,got off a couple ot times.challenged of one,and didnt even make the panel a few times(ballot).one other time the whole panel was discharged after the jury was picked as the trial was expected to go a few weeks

[jrandom]

+1 on the judge trial.

From my single experience, in a room full of lawyers and police, the judge was the only caring and honest person in the room.

Yes. I generally have a lot of time for judges.

Except for the old cunt who sentenced me more harshly for riding my motorbike while suspended on demerit points than he sentenced the drunk driver who came before me. Fair cop and all that, but the relative penalties (I got the same 6-month DQ, but a bigger fine) boggled me.

An eternal mystery, and a reminder of the occasionally arbitrary nature of our justice system.