Jury Service...your experiences and a few Qs

[lazymummy]

I did it a couple of years ago, started on Monday and sat around, got selected for a trial and was asked if we would be able to be available for up to 12 weeks! I said no as no childcare and I don't get paid on jury service, so not selected. Next day told not gto come in, then got a phonecall to say we were all discharged from duty!

[Anne]

I did mind when my older two were small. I loved it and found it really intersting. I too had a laugh with the other jurors, there were about 200 of us in all. I had two manslaughter cases , and a mugging in the two weeks I was there. But you have to sort your own childcare out, they dont want you not just to turn up one day because of home commitments as the trail will be held up because of you. I toowas asked if I could do four weeks, but work wouldnt let me, otherwise I would have like a shot!!

Would love to do it again.

[lucypede]

My employer had a set of written guidelines for jurors. Basically if you were let out before your normal lunchtime you were expected to go back to work, if after, you could go home. We left before 4pm most days. Also you are supposed to start at 9am each day but our judge only started at 10 so it was actually quite a nice break from work for for two weeks

I didn't enjoy the case one but though, it was about an underage rape

[bubblewrap]

I've been called twice, but wasn't picked to sit for either of them so was discharged.

[Stropypop]

I was selected a few years ago i was so excited until they said the first trial was likely to be longer than 3 months. when i questioned childcare the woman wasn't nice and said it was up to me to sort out until i mentioned ds and again couldn't find someone on a whim. When she said i could be excused.

The next day i wasn't picked out of the hat and we were all allowed home. I must admit i didn't go into work when we were allowed home early. Would have been for an hour max and i wouldn't have got any work done anyway

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

[Tekkencat]

i got to hang around and read for a few days and then got a murder trial

Work did expect me to go back for the 1/2 days i was discharged for (i think there were 2) but i didnt - by the time i would have got back and started up it would have been time to go home
Childcare wise you were expected to sort your own out

[lazymummy]

Oh, and I was called for jury service when I was about 7 months pregnant, and they wouldn't have me once they found out I was pregnant.

There was a woman who was 8 months pg when I did it! It must be down to the individual court. I would have liked to have been picked, but the not getting paid made it a big problem!

[bluekat]

I don't get paid when I'm off work and certainly not for jury service. When I was called I got a doctor's note to say I couldn't sit for long periods due to a whiplash injury I had at the time. I've not had the call since.

I would not be keen to do it at all, tbh, and would try my very best to get out of it if I was called again.

[DillyDally]

There was a woman who was 8 months pg when I did it! It must be down to the individual court.

I was called with about a month's notice, so I would have been 8 months pg at the time I actually phoned them to ask about being able to go to the loo as DS1 was bouncing up and down on my bladder, even at 7 months, so I was going to the loo a lot! That was when she said 'oooh, we can't have you, you might go into labour early'. Obviously, they don't give a sh!t about that now! A friend of mine, a police officer, says she thinks they are just grateful people tell them if they have a problem doing it, as loads of people just don't turn up.

[Bop]

I got a notice of jury service last week, but it was for our old address - it looks like the new oocupants didnt update their electoral role form so I was still on the list - I wrote back that I was no longer living in the area, so hope to hear I've nbeen excused soon. I'd love to do it.

Bop