Jury duty, reasons to be excused

Jury duty, reasons to be excused

Author
Discussion

IainT

10,040 posts

239 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2010
quotequote all
jamesson said:
On the first day, she should say she knows the defendant. Went to school with him, or something. That might get her excused.
The judge will just excuse her for that trial and she'd be back in the pool kicking her heels.

Did my 2-week stint earlier this year and it was a mix of interesting and boring. Got to head home early a few days (Judge had a golf session or somesuch).

tonyvid

9,869 posts

244 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2010
quotequote all
I think she should do it rather than the Jeremy Kyle lot but I can understand her reasons for not wanting to do it.

I was called and got exempted because I was being treated for a mental illness(onlydepression and anxiety). To be honest, at the time I could hardly decide what to eat for dinner let alone make judgements about people's freedom. I rang the officer of Juries, or something similar, explained it all and was dismissed - they were more than understanding.

IainT

10,040 posts

239 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2010
quotequote all
Just a point - the guy who was in charge of the Jurors at the court gave peolpe the chance to talk to him if they really felt they couldn't do the full two-weeks or had any days they really couldn't do.

He then tried to accommodate them - one or two people were sent home as they'd had a very good turn-out. Half of the Jury I was in for the first week (4 day trial) got sent away on Friday and told not to come back.

Even if the central jury service people don't accept her request to be excused then there might be some options presented to her on her first day.

N Dentressangle

3,442 posts

223 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2010
quotequote all
The actual guidance on deferral and excusal is here:

http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/courtfinder/for...

Four Cofffee said:
she will have to take unpaid leave and accept the £55 a day for jury duty
What trust does she work for? Some trusts will pay employees their normal salary whilst on JS, such as this one:

http://www.nnuh.nhs.uk/TrustDoc.asp?ID=148

I did JS last year. I also have a 'difficult' job to just drop. I do think we have a responsibility to do JS though, for the reasons others have mentioned: otherwise you'll end up with some very skewed juries. I can see exceptions for some of the people on here who are self-employed or running very small businesses, but for workers in large public sector organisations I tend to think the court service should hold the line.

Edited by N Dentressangle on Wednesday 2nd June 10:08

Rocksteadyeddie

7,971 posts

228 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2010
quotequote all
4 hours! 4 hours this post has been up. And we're on page 2 / halfway down page one / near the top of page 1 (delete as appropriate).

Daughter. 22. Years. Old.

And not a single request for pics / is she fit comment.

I'm appalled.

Whatever happened to standards?

cry







hornetrider

63,161 posts

206 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2010
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OP - search for Jury Service in SP+L - there's been a few discussions on this.

Neil H

15,323 posts

252 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2010
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James P said:
I think that if she has already deferred it once, then there are no reasons to be excused again.
This is what I thought too, second time round you cannot be excused for any but the most serious reason.

Corsair7

20,911 posts

248 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2010
quotequote all
Four Cofffee said:
Anybody know the grounds/excuses not to do it?

My daughter has just got an order for 2 weeks plus jury duty in July. She managed to defer it once before because she was working in Oz but this time they are insisting she goes.

She is a NHS doctor and despite a letter from her hospital saying she is needed and that there is no cover the Jury Service have turned down her request to be excused or defer again. She is a also in the TA and due to deploy to Afghanistan later this year so the hospital can ill aford to lose her for another 2 weeks plus.

She has a right of appeal but I was wondering what the convincing arguments would be?

I know we all have a civic duty etc but it seems nonesense to have the NHS pay locum rates (if they can even find a locum in her area) and her lose pay (she will have to take unpaid leave and accept the £55 a day for jury duty). Personally I think she is doing her bit going to Afghanistan and there must be many others willing and able to carry out this important job without them costing her and the NHS money. God forbid she ends up wih some protracted trial because that wll cut across her deployment training .
I cant see a single valid reason for her not doing her jury service in your post.

Most of the advice given in this thread is rubbish, btw, although you probably know that.

Oh, and lying to the judge about 'knowing the defendant' would be a very bad idea, both morally and legally.

Are you sure she wouldnt get paid by her employer? I find that very, very surprising, if she's basically a government employee.

Jury duty is udually two weeks of boredom, where she may pr may not get choosen for a trial. Usually sent home by lunch time though. Sadly, she could be on duty for many months if shes really unlucky.

hornetrider

63,161 posts

206 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2010
quotequote all
Corsair7 said:
I cant see a single valid reason for her not doing her jury service in your post.
Well, I can. So there we are.

Matt_N

8,903 posts

203 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2010
quotequote all
Fake her death.

It's the only way to be sure.

Corsair7

20,911 posts

248 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2010
quotequote all
hornetrider said:
Corsair7 said:
I cant see a single valid reason for her not doing her jury service in your post.
Well, I can. So there we are.
Care to expand?

tonyvid

9,869 posts

244 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2010
quotequote all
N Dentressangle said:
The actual guidance on deferral and excusal is here:

http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/courtfinder/for...
That's interesting, no mention of the dismissal I got confused

I wonder where I found that information from.

Marf

22,907 posts

242 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2010
quotequote all
HereBeMonsters said:
Is she massively racist?
Awful lotta honkeys in here.

N Dentressangle

3,442 posts

223 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2010
quotequote all
tonyvid said:
N Dentressangle said:
The actual guidance on deferral and excusal is here:

http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/courtfinder/for...
That's interesting, no mention of the dismissal I got confused

I wonder where I found that information from.
Yours will be nr 21, supported by this one:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/RightsA...

Edited by N Dentressangle on Wednesday 2nd June 11:18

hornetrider

63,161 posts

206 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2010
quotequote all
Corsair7 said:
hornetrider said:
Corsair7 said:
I cant see a single valid reason for her not doing her jury service in your post.
Well, I can. So there we are.
Care to expand?
Massive loss of pay, inconvenience and cost to hospital for rescheduling whatever she does and getting in a locum/replacement.

tonyvid

9,869 posts

244 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2010
quotequote all
N Dentressangle said:
tonyvid said:
N Dentressangle said:
The actual guidance on deferral and excusal is here:

http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/courtfinder/for...
That's interesting, no mention of the dismissal I got confused

I wonder where I found that information from.
Yours will be nr 21, supported by this one:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/RightsA...
thumbup

emicen

8,596 posts

219 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2010
quotequote all
- Walk in
- Announce loudly "I do hope they're trying a black..."
- Go back to work



Disclaimer: may not work, may get her brought up on some racial hate incitement or similar charges, may ensure she IS on the jury depending on which part of the media you believe hehe

Corsair7

20,911 posts

248 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2010
quotequote all
hornetrider said:
Corsair7 said:
hornetrider said:
Corsair7 said:
I cant see a single valid reason for her not doing her jury service in your post.
Well, I can. So there we are.
Care to expand?
Massive loss of pay, inconvenience and cost to hospital for rescheduling whatever she does and getting in a locum/replacement.
Like I said then. Loss of pay isn't nice, but isn't in itself a valid reason. I suspect she'd probably be able to negociate with her employer with this anyway, its not like shes employed by a very small private business. Cost/inconveniance to employer isn't valid (or her problem).


Perhaps you'd prefer only the unemployed/unemployable do jury service? Not 'busy or important' people?

Carfiend

3,186 posts

210 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2010
quotequote all
Carfiends Foolproof* Plan to get out of Jury Service:

1. Walk in wearing a long coat and dark glasses
2. When signing in tell the person behind the desk that it is clear that everyone that gets to court is guilty or the CPS wouldn't of asked for a trial
3. Explain to other people that it is easy to spot the guilty as it is all to do with how close their eyes are together and start a discussion on Phrenology and how we should be given a mold of the defendants head to check if he was destined for a life of crime.
4. 15 minutes later to led out of the door

  • Not really

Marf

22,907 posts

242 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2010
quotequote all
Corsair7 said:
Perhaps you'd prefer only the unemployed/unemployable do jury service? Not 'busy or important' people?
[facetious remark]At least it'd give the feckless wasters something to do[/facetious remark]