Indeed me and most of the people I know do whatever we can to get out of jury duty- especially as many of us are contract workers and not employees, and our specific circumstances unfortunately require our employers to actually hire someone else to fill in the jobs as long as we're gone, we do very much stand to lose our positions to someone else.
That, and the fact that I don't want to be locked away and subjected to the abusive manner of the employees, let alone parading my face in front of the person who might hold it against me if I convict them.
Witness trials were bad enough- the lawyers actually once told the court out loud my full name and address- and the person I was witnessing against (it was a brawl I was standing near- next time the police ask- I didn't see anything- and they can bloody well blame the contemptuous antics the only employed participants in the courts endanger me with).

Quite frankly unless the courts adapt to a world that does NOT stop for them- or else, they adapt to a world where they have to justify the world stopping for them and properly protect and look after their participants (witnesses, that is- juries shouldn't even be there)- it will only continue to go downhill.

Dear King,

If I was on trial for a crime I didn't commit
I would rather plead my case if front of a
judge (even though some of them may be a
bit dodgy), rather than in front of "12 good
men and true," who didn't really want to be there
and couldn't wait to leave.

On the other hand,
on the law of averages - wouldn't being judged
by 12 instead of one -tip the odds in one's favour?

Quite a conundrum. Let's hope that it's one I'll never
have to face.

there is no need to lie
to get out of jury 'duty'

when the sherrif rings you
simply ask about jury nulification
[you will never be called again]

other means to escape 'doing your duty'
are to say you know the 'defendant'
[this only works once]

the other is to say as belly has said on the other thread
i allready made up my mind..[but be warned sometimes thats egsactly what their looking for

dumb deaf/blind sheep
who love hating other
who love simplistic judgements

who are their to do
their 'duty'..to wit find guilt blame
who love the power of going along with the crowd

they love complicite yes people
so be disagreeable..and ask plenty of questions
say i will google that...

[thats [poisen]
they need sheep

It is a fake symbolism by one's peers especially given that jury selection is so contrived. However, the ACT is often criticised for the large number of innocent verdicts compared to the rest of Australia. Mainly due to a large number of trials being decided by a Judge. The Joe Cinque trial was one such case.

This might mean juries are jailing a large number of innocent people or that Judges are over-analytical and are freeing a large number of guilty people.

While I can see all the problems inherent in juries I am not entirely sure that a panel of Judges or magistrates would result in fairer assessments. Juries are often 'led' by the Judge on certain points of law. Is that enough? There are many cases in the US certainly where innocent men have been jailed and later found innocent but thankfully we don't have the pressure of plea bargaining in Australia in the same way as far as I am aware.

Well the only system that does it differently is Germany- and there aren't any substantial differences with the outcome as to those of our system, or America's, that use juries.

As it is, the potential jurors are summoned by random selection; but the 'finalists' are chosen by the judge and lawyers, the information they are allowed (and not allowed) to know, is decided by the judge and lawyers, and even their answer too can be rejected (or even the whole case can be terminated) by the judge at his own discretion for any reason he likes. The powers or even say of the jurors is absolutely minimal- they suggest a verdict to the judge, requiring the judge actually accepts the reasons they gave.

Sorry for this late reply..."The trial was in a small contry town and the jury was obviously composed of townsfolk."

Well thank-god for the banjo players....

no victim
NO CRIME*
Posted by one under god, Tuesday, 16 August 2011 10:00:50 AM

And that about somes it up.

What would we do without lawyers:) what would we do....:)

I think i need a job...,

LEAP