Jury Service - Do it, or else!

[Crop]

I was called up for Jury Service and am due to start my second week tomorrow. Has anyone else had to endure this? Sitting in the room that time forgot?

I've now gone through a week of what I thought would be an interesting experience but I haven't even been called up to a case. I've gone through two huge books while sitting in the same chair in the waiting room for 4 days, and I'm dreading going back.
It's such nice weather out, and I'm stuck indoors, because if I don't turn up I'll be fined. I'm just lucky that we have a bank holiday today and Friday, so it's only three more days I have to be there.

Anyone else done the service before? What was it like for you? Any tips on how not to melt with boredom?

[Peegee]

I noticed this is GC but I will be uncharacteristically coherent for once.

If I were in your position and I had to make a jury decision on a case, I would absolutely vote to acquit the accused regardless of evidence.

[Dreddz]

I've never done jury duty as I live in the UK. I dunno why anyone would complain about doing it. Sounds like fun. I'm serious.

[Raistlin]

I would love to have jury duty, especially if I was assigned to a drug case, with all the evidence in the prosecution's favor. That would be glorious. Of course, I will never have the opportunity now that I will have committed the unforgivable crime of being able to actually follow wtf the lawyer's say.

[Iceglow]

I've never done jury duty as I live in the UK. I dunno why anyone would complain about doing it. Sounds like fun. I'm serious.

There is still jury service in the UK but to be called up for it you must be on the electoral register for your current address. You cannot volunteer for it, it is merely something that could be required of you in return for your right to have a say in the running of the country. How else did you believe they made a jury for a case at crown court level?

[Shlup]

I got called in once and totally wanted to be put on a case, but, after spending the entire day just smurfing sitting around, the prosecutor dismissed me on account of she was smurfing retarded.

[NorthernChaosGod]

Never been called for jury duty. I would probably just come off as a smurfing racist to get out of it though.

[Bunny]

Whenever I get called for jury duty I put on my best lisp and develop a blank stare.

[Raistlin]

Do NOT act like an obnoxious angry bigot to try to get out of jury duty. Judges are used to those things, and they will notice. And not only will it not get you out the door, but if you go too crazy you could wind up in jail for the night.

[blackmage_nuke]

I wouldnt want to be called for jury duty. Not because of the time it takes, but because I wouldnt feel comfortable passing judgement on others.

[Jiro]

I wouldn't mind doing jury duty but I'm a journalist so I will never have to do it.

[Madame Adequate]

Don't think they let certifiably crazy people do it.

Not that I'd want to anyway.

[NorthernChaosGod]

Do NOT act like an obnoxious angry bigot to try to get out of jury duty. Judges are used to those things, and they will notice. And not only will it not get you out the door, but if you go too crazy you could wind up in jail for the night.

Haha, I figured they would be. Does subtle prejudice or dickish behavior work though?

[Shlup]

Subtle prejudice works, yeah. Or saying something that would make either of the lawyers think you might be biased against their client. I was dismissed because I made a comment about teenagers being dramatic, and then making a sassy comment when the prosecutor said something stupid about it.

But there were a lot of people who were obviously trying to say things to get out of it and the judge was like "Ha, no."

[DMKA]

I've actually had to do it twice. Yes, twice.

The first time was in a tiny Oklahoma town where I never even got assigned to a case, so I suppose it doesn't really count.

The second time was a few months ago though, here in Columbus. The case? A 50 year old woman suing a 20 year old guy with whom she got into a car accident, which he was at fault for. Apparently she fell down some stairs 30 years before the accident and messed up her vertebrae. Well, after the accident (which was little more than a fender bender, but in the passenger side of the car rather than the back or front) she decided that she was feeling worse than usual. So what did she do? She went to a dozen or so of the most expensive doctors she could find, almost all of which told her they didn't see anything new from new vs old xrays. Then you know what she did?

She decided to go to an acupuncturist, which she swears is the only thing that would help her. But the pain would always come back a couple days later, and she'd go right back.

So, she had, alone, a $75,000 outstanding bill for the acupuncturist, compiled with tens of thousands for all the doctors she saw and prescriptions she got through them, which for some reason she decided to never pay or even attempt to get aid for.

She wanted us, the jury, to order this guy, 20, who's barely about to start his life, to pay all these bills, AND KEEP PAYING FOR THE ACUPUNCTURE SESSIONS INDEFINITELY.

Needless to say, none of us were going to give her what she was asking for, but unfortunately the majority of our group were idiots swayed by emotion.

I won't reveal the outcome because it's too rage inducing.

Haha, I figured they would be. Does subtle prejudice or dickish behavior work though?

The easiest way to get out of it is, in the very beginning, when they're picking jurors for a case, both the defending and prosecuting attorneys, along with the judge, will ask you a series of questions pertaining to things that would possibly give you a bias in the case.

There's really no way for them to check to see if what you say is true or not, so just making something up for every other question would work well. Sadly I didn't think to do it until afterward.