I got a letter in the post today… It said it came from the law office at the central courts.
That scared the SHIT out of me!
phew, Jury duty.
I've always wanted to do that. It's going to be booring as hell and a complete waist of time, but I'm still really excited to try it out! I wonder if I'll be challanged and sent home, or if I'll actually get to sit in judgement on a case, ooooo!

So, does anyone have any tips or advice? They don't allow mobile phones and things, but do'ya think they'll let me bring a book and a sketch-pad?

This is going to be fun :)

do a “12 angry men” scene!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV4u-WajFtA

Chaaaaaaaaaaaa, yaknow-vat? that was funny. Good old Mad TV.
Who IS that woman who was sitting next to that Lamar guy? You know, the ‘lesbian’? She is SOOO hot!
I can't remeber her name from the show.

Yes, by all means bring a book or sketch pad. If the juror process is anything like the U.S., you'll be in a room for a verrrryyy looooong time before they even (or IF they even) select you for anything.

I wouldn't suggest sketching during the trial, though. ;)

SpANG
I wouldn't suggest sketching during the trial, though. ;)

Hmm… it might not be so good then. Ah well, it'll still be interesting.
I hope they give me lunch, morning/afternoon tea and all that sort of thing!
I need my tea.

Well, I was once called for jury duty. I was actually hoping they'd call me up there and try to challenge me (it was a stupid civil dispute because one lady broke her ankle because of a depression in another lady's yard. Not even a hole, a little sunken spot! >.o), especially because my personal moral beliefs would've kept me from actually being in the jury.

But hey, I got paid $30 for the trouble of driving halfway across town, sitting through all their bullshit, and driving back home! =D And I didn't even do anything!

I was on jury duty last summer, it was pretty interesting. Thankfully the trial was fairly short and clear-cut, but we still had to go in 2 days. They did feed us lunch. :) They also have special rules about what you can bring into the jury box, but if it's still the selection part they don't really care what you do. (This is all for the US anyway.)

I actually served with a girl I had taught a few years before when I did student teaching. It felt pretty strange to raise my hand when they asked if any of the jurors knew any of the other jurors.

And ‘cos I am a take charge type they ended up making me the jury spokesperson/foreman which was also interesting… suddenly I got nervous about the way I worded things and whether I was introducing prejudice by how the jurors were voting and things… :s I’d hate to be jury foreman on an important trial. It was kind of cool though getting to lead discussions and say things like “we know the testimony was suspicious but does that constitute evidence?” :D

Argh, I don't want to be foreman! That'd be scary. So far this sounds pretty good though, 2 days is nice and short. If I DO get selected I think I'd like a short one, but that wouldn't be up to me.
…I have to be there by 8.15 am though (20th of Nov), that's not too cool.
I'd really like to get picked, waiting around all day just to be sent home at the end wouldn't be quite as exciting somehow…

I did jury duty and it was one of the most traumatic experiences I've had in a long time. Almost two weeks of me having to shut off my emotions in order to listen to some horrible things and then making a decision about it, oh wait, not making a decision because being the youngest one in the room meant everything I said counted for nothing even though I am in law school, and then bam, non-stop crying for a day. I would not wish jury duty upon anyone, even my worst enemy.

Still, I totally sketched on my official notepad while in the jury box in order to pass the time.

alejkhan
I did jury duty and it was one of the most traumatic experiences I've had in a long time.

…That sounds like a really shitty experience… :(

alejkhan
Still, I totally sketched on my official notepad while in the jury box in order to pass the time.

But this is a but of an upside at least :)

I hope I don't get a nasty one… Still it's a whole month away. Too long to wait!

my jury experience was sitting around for a couple of hours. getting told that all 3 trials they were choosing for that day had been cancelled because every single defendent had decided to plea bargain. told to go home. nothing exciting- just booorrrinnng!

I once got a letter for Jury Duty. I was friggin' eight years old. They screwed up (It was supposed to be for my dad) which has made my faith in the judicial system close to non-existant.

Oh well, just a few more months until I'm old enough to get the real letter

ozoneocean

alejkhan
Still, I totally sketched on my official notepad while in the jury box in order to pass the time.

But this is a but of an upside at least :)

I hope I don't get a nasty one… Still it's a whole month away. Too long to wait!

They don't let you keep the notepad though…..official court room property that they end up destroying. :(

i got picked a year ago…good thing I wasn't one to be picked. out of 30 of us only a couple were picked to go to the trial. I earned 5$ though…yay =P

subcultured
i got picked a year ago…good thing I wasn't one to be picked. out of 30 of us only a couple were picked to go to the trial. I earned 5$ though…yay =P

W00t! Can I borrow some of that sweet cash?

Alejkhan
They don't let you keep the notepad though…..official court room property that they end up destroying.

…my drawings would be worth 100 times whatever they'd pay me for being there… Lucky I'd already be at court because I'd have to sue them!
I might even get 5$ :)

…I go for Jury duty tommorrow… I have only 2 hours to sleep before I have to catch a train and then a bus there…

Bugger. :(