Juries - how are they made up?

[Kickaha]

Most employers will make up the difference between the jury daily allowance, and normal daily pay.

Our company pays you your normal 8 hor day and the jury duty cheque gets signed over to them

I've been called twice, I didn't get selected for the first and wrote in and was excused for the second

[Swoop]

i was on a jury panel once where multiple defendants were all facing the same charge.Dont know how the work but he defendants had so many challenges it was ridiculous

Each defendant has the same quantity of "challenges", so the cumulative amount looks very large indeed. Watch how a gang trial goes when there are around 10 defendants... you could be there for an hour or so just getting through the challenges!


I'm unsure if there is anything lodged on your electoral roll "availability" for jury service.
I was getting called up every couple of years. After multiple cases and being foreman a couple of times it does become quite entertaining.

People would be surprised what discussions take place in a closed jury room. A LOT more serious consideration of the evidence presented is done than some would care to imagine.

[husaberg]

i was on a jury panel once where multiple defendants were all facing the same charge.Dont know how the work but he defendants had so many challenges it was ridiculous

the challenges are the fun part, watching the lawyers read the cheat sheet after the jurors name is called look the potential jurors up and down Make a judgement call re the profile of the juror they want (or don't want) and wait to see the other lawyers reaction. I can't remember how many challenges each they have 3 or 5, but it is a real game of cat and mouse. At times as soon as a name is called they are immediately challenged, as the Lawyer has red flagged them.

For instance on break and enter/burglary trials the defendants advocates wants young or middle aged males and avoids older females as much as possible.

[Grumph]

A couple of points - yes, drawn from the electoral roll but they are clever enough to use electorates within the 50km radius of court so it's fairly rare now to get off on that ground...

If selected, when you go into the jury room, keep your mouth shut...in my personal experience, first to speak gets the foreman's job....

If you do get selected to attend for service, check your employers attitude....I served in a trial which lasted two weeks and came back to find I'd lost my job....very probably illegal as i pointed out at the time but it made no difference to the prick in question. Not worth trying to sort him out.

[husaberg]

A couple of points - yes, drawn from the electoral roll but they are clever enough to use electorates within the 50km radius of court so it's fairly rare now to get off on that ground...

If selected, when you go into the jury room, keep your mouth shut...in my personal experience, first to speak gets the foreman's job....

If you do get selected to attend for service, check your employers attitude....I served in a trial which lasted two weeks and came back to find I'd lost my job....very probably illegal as i pointed out at the time but it made no difference to the prick in question. Not worth trying to sort him out.

Don't wear a shirt let alone a tie.
But yes keep ya lips sealed in the jury room for a start.
The extreme diversity of the jury panel personality always gives me a giggle.
Also much much different persons interpretation of the evidence presented differs is an eye opener to the uninitiated.

[Flip]

I was on a long jury trial. I was made redundant half way through the trial.

I had been working at the company for 12 years and had a good redundancy package. It would be fair to say the company got no simpathy from the court.

[tigertim20]

be quite a few ways of getting off jury duty I would think. I'd imagine that doing something like,turning up smelling of booze, posibly being sligtly hungover, and dressed like a homeless person / scumbag would probably help you to get off it.

Having said that, I don't understand the 'fuck this I don't want to do it' attitude. I mean, every time we see some young hoon who drives like a cock and kills three people, or a rapist who molests several children, or a repeat drunk driver who has finally killed some-one, we complain about how many of them get off, or get minuscule punishments, yet when we get an opportunity to sit down, and hear ALL the evidence, and play a part in the process, and potentially make a tiny difference, we can't be fucked.

weird.

agreed the pay should be equal to what one gets at work, would make more people more willing to think fuck it, few days off work would be ok, and this could be interesting.

[Gremlin]

agreed the pay should be equal to what one gets at work, would make more people more willing to think fuck it, few days off work would be ok, and this could be interesting.

I'm sure for some it might change things, but the pay isn't my issue. A few days off is not OK, there are issues that have to be resolved which can't be done when I'm sitting in a court room, and yes, I don't see it as my problem either.

[nerrrd]

I was on a jury.

It was a complete waste of three days, an open and shut case where even the judge was making jokes at the defendant's expense. He was caught with chemical residue from some marked bills handed over at a tinnie house and tried to claim it was chalk from when he was fixing a flat tyre on his pushbike in the front yard.

So not a great ad for the system. On the plus side, a chick who I think sang with Strawpeople was on the jury as well?

Took us the minimum time allowable to deliver the verdict. Haven't been called up again since.

Having said that, shouldn't we all see it as our duty to participate? No citizenship without service...or was that from Starship Troopers?

[Akzle]

fuck that shit. Consenting/going would be legitamising the cracker ass kangaroo legal bullshit.

As the saying 'at court your fate rests with 12 people who were too dumb to get out of jury duty'

you shouldnt need payment its your civic duty, pleb.

[husaberg]

Having said that, shouldn't we all see it as our duty to participate? No citizenship without service...or was that from Starship Troopers?

The jury's still out on weather Starship Troopers had a plot. but Denise Richards cleavage sure got my vote
i have had to sit through a sexual assault/rape of a minor case. it was a harrowing experience for me and i was sure glad when it was called off on the second day.

[Winston001]

Good thread Mom. Until recently its been easy to get out of jury service and possibly four out of five people do. However the courts are toughening up:

This guy, who I feel a bit sorry for because he appears to be genuine, got 10 days in prison for refusing to serve. To the best of my knowledge he is on bail and waiting the result of an appeal.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crim...would-be-juror

[Gremlin]

This guy, who I feel a bit sorry for because he appears to be genuine, got 10 days in prison for refusing to serve. To the best of my knowledge he is on bail and waiting the result of an appeal.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crim...would-be-juror

Received a fine instead. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crim...or-can-go-free

Was made into an example me thinks.

[Akzle]

Good thread Mom. Until recently its been easy to get out of jury service and possibly four out of five people do. However the courts are toughening up:

This guy, who I feel a bit sorry for because he appears to be genuine, got 10 days in prison for refusing to serve. To the best of my knowledge he is on bail and waiting the result of an appeal.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crim...would-be-juror

a clearly effective system when you must be forcibly persuaded to participate.

[Gremlin]

Handy link to provide most info on the basics: http://www.justice.govt.nz/services/...jury-service-1

The nuances of profiling etc wouldn't be covered tho