Minor complaints thread (19 Viewers)

[magicbastarder]

yeah, it's curious. i think they need to sound heavy handed in the letter to impress upon people that 'this is an important thing you are being 'asked' to do' but at the same time, if stories were legion about people getting into trouble over it, people would avoid it like the clappers; like you suggest, people would remove their name from the register to avoid it.

 

[rettucs]

yeah, it's curious. i think they need to sound heavy handed in the letter to impress upon people that 'this is an important thing you are being 'asked' to do' but at the same time, if stories were legion about people getting into trouble over it, people would avoid it like the clappers; like you suggest, people would remove their name from the register to avoid it.

the other thing is, when you're actually in there, there are security guards standing at the doors to make sure you don't leave. I didn't appreciate that. I didn't think anyone who turned up was likely to make a run for it. On the wednesday of the week I was in I got a migraine and I was terrified I'd be called onto a case. I wanted to leave but those pricks intimidated me into not even trying. That was probably my own fault all the same.

 

[GARYXKNIFEDX]

I've turned it down 3 times. 1st my daughter had not long been born. (At 27 weeks) the other two were after Eoin was diagnosed. But one of them was also not long after I had been told for the second time I could not get an Irish passport. So fuck them.

As far as I can see,they never checked anything.

 

[magicbastarder]

about fifteen years ago, i came within a hair's breadth of making the jury on a rape case. they called down 20 people at a time IIRC, and number 18 on the panel was picked as the 12th juror (there had been six people objected to). i was number 19, i was able to go home.

 

[rettucs]

about fifteen years ago, i came within a hair's breadth of making the jury on a rape case. they called down 20 people at a time IIRC, and number 18 on the panel was picked as the 12th juror (there had been six people objected to). i was number 19, i was able to go home.

there was some pretty disturbing shit on the week I was in too. A murder case and a child abuse case that was held in-camera. Then there was stuff at the pettier end - assaults, muggings (not petty for the victim, obvs, but in comparison to the other 2 cases).

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

'civic duty' is the biggest misnomer. Its a fucking obligation that you get hammered for if you don't do. I did it before and it was the most uncomfortable thing ever. I'd imagine the criminals on-trial were moving around the courts more freely than the jury panel. I hated it so much I considered coming off the voting register last time. Everything about it is set to intimidate you into relenting. I'm amazed some people actually enjoy it.

I was called up for it once but as I was 5 at the time, my mam sent a letter in saying I couldn’t miss school.

 

[rettucs]

I was called up for it once but as I was 5 at the time, my mam sent a letter in saying I couldn’t miss school.

and yet you had the neck to tell me to do my civic duty. sake

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

I begged her to let me go. I would have made an excellent juror.

I wasn’t been serious in that civic duty post by the way, I would absolutely hate to be on a jury. A friend of mine works in courts and what I’ve heard from just this week alone made me wish to stay away even more!

 

[jonah]

I was called just after Avalon was born too. It would have been a pain in the hole. I have a friend who was on a very high profile murder case jury and for whatever reasons really enjoyed it. Think she was out for several weeks.

 

[magicbastarder]

when i got called, it was a mixture of 'oh fuck' coupled with a bit of ego along the lines of 'i reckon i'd make a damn good juror, let me jure'

a colleague was picked as the foreman on a jury. he said it was a right PITA, like being stuck in a pub with a bunch of strangers, some of them assholes, but the argument you're having is not a pub argument, it matters. and you're trying to referee it.
plus, you're sober*

*hopefully

 

[GO]

I was called just after Avalon was born too. It would have been a pain in the hole. I have a friend who was on a very high profile murder case jury and for whatever reasons really enjoyed it. Think she was out for several weeks.

 

[Cormcolash]

And there was definitely no roll call at any time other than the first morning.

SHABOOYAYAYA

 

[Cormcolash]

Oh also there's this class film with Jack Lemmon (I think) called something like '12 Angry Men' and it's about the jury deliberating in this murder trial and one guy holding out that eventually gets them to all change their minds on the verdict. Oh wait looked it up and it's a remake of a 50s one, must see the original some time

 

[seanc]

From reading all this, I've decided to look it up, and contrary to what I had always assumed, I am eligible for jury duty in this country.

That's a minor complaint. I've only been in a court building once. Didn't have to do anything in the end*, but I found it all pretty grim, like an underfunded library in a really really bad neighbourhood. Or a mortuary chapel.

*I was a witness, defendant changed his plea to guilty at the last minute, so I only saw the reception and the waiting room. Still, what a prick for wasting my time. I'm sure he did that on purpose.

 

[magicbastarder]

my brother was sequestered once. can't remember why they needed to sequester the jury, maybe once deliberations begin they're not allowed go home.
anyway, they acquitted due to lack of evidence in the end. it turned out that i knew the defendant's cousin, and the family had been hoping for a guilty plea, with a slap on the wrists, to put a halt to his gallop.

 

[rettucs]

my brother was sequestered once. can't remember why they needed to sequester the jury, maybe once deliberations begin they're not allowed go home.
anyway, they acquitted due to lack of evidence in the end. it turned out that i knew the defendant's cousin, and the family had been hoping for a guilty plea, with a slap on the wrists, to put a halt to his gallop.

I was subpoenaed to the High Court once as a witness to a road traffic accident involving a Garda car (they weren't the guilty party). I would not come forward as a witness again after the experience, which, again, was horrible. You're in there thinking you're doing someone a favour, but really all you are is a bargaining chip while the lawyers wheel and deal in the corridors. The case ended up being settled and no trial was needed, but no one fucking told me. I was sitting there like a tool and it was only when the state solicitor was walking by and spotted me, they told me I could go home, that the case was settled hours ago. Fucking pricks.

 

[magicbastarder]

my dad was subpoenaed once to four courts, as a witness in a high profile kidnapping case (though i guess they're all high profile). he and a colleague had photocopied all the ransom money - used 10s and 20s, before handing it over to the gardai. he loved it, but i guess that was partly cos he was 'at work' and being paid to sit in court and get to watch some of it.

 

[therealjohnny]

Your Dad photocopied the ransom money? How...what..

 

[magicbastarder]

he worked in the bank - the ransom demand came in, the victim's family were told not to breathe a word to the gardai, but they did; so the gardai asked the bank for the ransom but wanted the serial numbers of the notes recorded. the easiest way of doing it was to photocopy all the money, so my dad and a colleague of his were given that task.
he was subpoenaed mainly in case the defence challenged the chain of evidence, rather than him having actually witnessed anything juicy.

 

[egg_]

I'd probably enjoy jury duty, in fairness. Only ever got called once, didn't go cos I had (college) exams on