Has anyone done Jury service and how did you find it?

I have done it twice - the first time the trial lasted over 6 months - it was great fun, we ended up in a hotel for 3 nights whilst deliberating

I have been called once and found the process of choosing jury members interesting. I wasn't picked and had to phone each evening for three days. I was glad I wasn't chosen as the first case involved a young man who had caused death by driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The photographs would have been harrowing. I've never been picked since

I have been called twice - 5 times is a lot OP! The first time I was at Isleworth Crown court and sat on 3 cases, 2 were drug trails. I felt sorry for the young Jamaican women who was used as a mule. She had a disabled child and was probably desperate for money. She had swallowed loads of packages containing drugs Which showed up on the X-ray they gave her, so she had no choice to admit to the crime. However, she said she didn’t know about the drugs in her suitcase. I think she got 6 years in prison.

A few years ago I was called again. We had moved to a different part of the country. This was just the one case and it was historical child abuse! Sounds awful doesn’t it, though the said abuser was no more than a child himself. It was very interesting. In the end we found the person not guilty. I have never seen anyone so relieved in my whole life!

I wouldn’t mind doing it again.

Never been called thank goodness and will be beyond the age range by Christmas so hopefully will escape forever.
Hope I haven't jinxed myself ?

I was called this year and was full of dread. I spoke to my doctor and he agreed that the illness I suffer from would prevent me from sitting in a court room for any length of time. He wrote me a letter and charged me £10. Well worth it.

I did it about 30 years ago but having returned from lunch on the first day we were told that the defendant had changed his plea to guilty!

I have never been called but my OH has twice - he was the foreman the first time! My daughter has also been called twice. OHs second stint sounded very harrowing but obviously he couldn’t go into detail.

I have just been called for Jury Service: had to postpone it as it was incredibly short notice but am due now to do it in June. I will be 74 so nearly got away with it!

I have never done jury service but have been a witness at the Crown Court.. It was an interesting experience in many ways. When answering questions I was told to address the jury which I had to keep being reminded about because the natural way is to look at the person who poses the question .The jury listened so attentively that I was glad to be standing some way from them !

I think it depends what sort of life you’ve lead whether you would be shell shocked or not. I feel if your street wise and keep connected to the younger generation and there lives and how there life’s are today then you wouldn’t be shocked and would be well prepared. If however you’ve lead a sheltered life maybe it would be gut wrenching if you got a hard case. I’d love to do it. My favourite program is 24 hours in custody.

I've been called but as I need to lip-read I was exempted.

I did it two years ago. I was surprised to see so many other jurors there on the first day. There were 40 there all together. Two courts and jurors selected at random. Those not needed were sent home.

I did three cases over the two weeks. Every time a new jury was selected.

At the end we were all asked if anyone could do another case as it was expected to last months!

Not stressful but the cases weren't too harrowing. There were a number of days when we finished early.

I felt for the self employed jurors. They can claim but it no where near covers what they earn. Humbertbear Surprised the school didn't pay you as a teacher. We had two teachers and they didn't loose pay.

Security checks were very rigorous and we were escorted out of the court building every day.

I was called 3 times but as I worked in the criminal justice system, and would have had knowledge of some of the cases not available to other jurors, I was exempt. I wonder if that's a life long exemption? I spent many many hours in the Magistrates' Courts, so have no wish to spend many many hours in the Crown Court!

I am 70 years old and have never been called. Don't know if its because I am not on the public register.

I did it about 25 years ago and found there was a lot of sitting around and being sent home for whatever reason as it wasn’t going ahead that day.

The case we were on was extremely boring And I found it hard not to nod off - I Probably would do it again and just hope I got a more interesting case

Was called up and sat on two different cases, found it very interesting. My husband was also called but he just sat in a waiting room for a couple of days as was not selected A colleague was called up but was dismissed as he knew the defendant

I did it about 8 years ago and absolutely hated it. My boss wasn't very accommodating either because she made me work the evening shift if I was at court that day. She let others get paid and they didn't have to go to work. So up at 6am to get ready and head for court, then had to go to work after it until 10pm. I had to phone every evening to see if my number was in the group asked to attend, then hanging around all day waiting to see if my number was picked to go on a jury. I was used 3 times and was a bundle of nerves, it was as if I was standing trial in front of the judge. When I was getting sworn in I got my words mixed up and was so embarrassed. I hope I never ever get called again.

I did it 10 years ago and I quite honestly found it boring!
It involved a journey to the court taking nearly 2 hours to a town that I had never visited and I got myself into such a state that my son had to come with me on the first day to make sure that I was ok!
It involves a lot of sitting around, waiting for your name to be called and even if you do get taken up to the court, there was no guarantee that you will be chosen for a particular case. If not chosen, it's back down to the waiting room!
When and if you do finally get chosen, a lot o the time is spent sitting in a cold court (the aircon was on in February because the judge didn't want anyone nodding off)and also being sent out to the holding room next door while the barristers and judge do "housekeeping" that is basically arguing legal matters amongst themselves. This can happen several times during the day!
Lunchtime can be anything between 12 and 2 (court does start until at least 10 am) then back into court until between 3.30 and 4pm, depending on when the judge wants to close for the day
Basically, make sure you take at least one book with you and pack some sandwiches - in some courts there are cafeterias but they only serve a limited range of food. We were given a smart card to use that was for £5 per day which just about covered a hot drink and a couple of bars of chocolate! They did serve hot food, but you had to be released for lunch by 12 to get any ! I was told that they didn't serve hot food after 1 - even though the official lunchtime allowance was 12 - 2!
The plus side was that you get to meet totally different people and you get to see how the legal system works - and just why there is such a long time for cases to get to court!

I think I would like to do it. I've been in court on many occasions but as a police officer on security duty and also giving evidence in cases.
The first time I was in a Crown Court case I was quite excited about the whole experience beforehand and felt very let down as the case was about a man who was drunk in a public place, arrested and then broke the wooden toilet seat in his cell! Not an exciting case at all.
But I would like to see a case from a different perspective (but not as a defendant).

I was chosen for Jury Service at the Old Bailey in 1989 despite living in Middlesex (Surrey), last group to be called in from that area.

It was interesting as the Induction was carried out in No1 Court where the most serious cases are tried. Day one just sat around, Day 2 I was one of a group of Jurors selected to go to the Royal Courts of Justice for a Civil Case.

RCJ is the beautiful building frequently shown on tv (High Court). Two & a half weeks on a Libel Case. It was fascinating, great mix of people on the Jury.

I'm glad I didn't get a Criminal Case. One of my fellow Jurors had also been on the Jury for 2 Coroners Court cases.

I enjoyed it very much & despite being a Civil Servant I was allowed to do Jury Service.

When I changed Offices I worked with a lady who had been on the Jury at the Old Bailey on the case involving Ronnie O'Sullivan's Father (Ronnie is a well known Snooker player in case anyone doesn't know), that was a case regarding a violent assault, she said there were some really scary people in the Court.

I will never be called now, too old, but I wouldn’t have done it anyway. I refuse to sit in judgement in my fellow humans. I’m not qualified to do that. I’d have been fined, but I’d accept that.

I have never done jury service and now at the age of 75, thankfully I won’t have to. We always hoped that my father would never be called (and he wasn’t) because as far as he was concerned anybody who was taken to court must be guilty. We tried to explain ‘innocent until proven ...’ to him but to no avail

Neither my husband nor I have ever been called, not sure if we will be called now that we are over 65? My son was called twice (in different boroughs) when he was very young.
I'd love to do it.

I believe you can be called up to age 76.

75 I think it is.