Jury Service

[Invisible Monkey]

In what is a first for me and anyone that I know of, I've been selected for Jury Service and I have no legitimate reasons that would allow me to be excused if selected to serve on a jury.

I'm a big fan of courtroom dramas, books, TV shows etc so part of me would find the whole experience interesting but I'm under no illusions that the reality is likely to be far more tedious and draining, with the potential to have a negative impact on mental and emotional health if the crime is particularly graphic.

I'm interested to know if there are any members here that have served on a jury and if you can share your experiences (excluding those that you are permanently barred from disclosing)?

How did your employer handle your absence?
Did they pay your normal salary or did you have to come to a specific agreement regarding the $40 per day you get in terms of either having that deducted from your normal pay or paying that back to the business once jury service is completed?
I understand there is no travel or meal allowance to and from the court however some form of snacks will be provided. So either parking or transport to and from the court is at your own cost.
Any tips or advice for what lies in store during this process, from being summoned to court, the jury selection process or anything else that would prove to be helpful.

Thanks in advance.

 

[DC3]

Who would want to be judged by 12 people not smart enough to get out of jury duty?

 

[cove]

In WA Mrscove received a jury service letter. Her first attempt we hit a traffic jam from hell from a bus breakdown so we got there too late. Next time she was eliminated as the defence did not want hard nosed older women who love to convict felons.. She is now ineligble for another call up.

 

[AuSammy]

I sent my non-refundable overseas flight itinerary that coincided with the court dates.

 

[kpc]

Ì'm in a profession that automatically gets excluded from jury duty....fortunately!

 

[cove]

I never got picked and 75 is the cut off so I am ineligble.

 

[moa999]

Been called three times to Sydney Downing Centre... So possibility for some of the big trials. Served once in my early 20s on a 2-day trial.

From memory in all three cases they were for 10+ wk trials. I was always willing to serve but asked for shorter trials due to study/ work etc and typically got reassigned for estimated sub 5-day trials.

The latter two times hung around till 12/1pm then my group number got sent home..
The first time got called into a room past 2. I was one of the last people empanelled, think all the challenges had run out. We ended up being a jury of 11 after one member dropped out on the 2nd day claiming claustrophobia in the jury room. Trial ended late on the 2nd day and we had a pretty quick jury discussion.

Was fairly frustrating trial as a jury member as we were constantly sent in and out of the court whilst other issues were discussed in front of the judge.

At the time I was a casual employee so it definitely cost me.. Believe generally for wage earners you'd keep the small additional amount.
Court hours are often relatively short so I suspect many working jury members are doing stuff before and after court.

 

[MELso]

Ì'm in a profession that automatically gets excluded from jury duty....fortunately!

Ditto. Still got called up a couple of years ago, so had to let them know.

But before I was, I got called up just after I turned 18 but it clashed with O-week. They let me off and never heard anything for almost 30 years.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

In what is a first for me and anyone that I know of, I've been selected for Jury Service and I have no legitimate reasons that would allow me to be excused if selected to serve on a jury.

I'm a big fan of courtroom dramas, books, TV shows etc so part of me would find the whole experience interesting but I'm under no illusions that the reality is likely to be far more tedious and draining, with the potential to have a negative impact on mental and emotional health if the crime is particularly graphic.

I'm interested to know if there are any members here that have served on a jury and if you can share your experiences (excluding those that you are permanently barred from disclosing)?

How did your employer handle your absence?
Did they pay your normal salary or did you have to come to a specific agreement regarding the $40 per day you get in terms of either having that deducted from your normal pay or paying that back to the business once jury service is completed?
I understand there is no travel or meal allowance to and from the court however some form of snacks will be provided. So either parking or transport to and from the court is at your own cost.
Any tips or advice for what lies in store during this process, from being summoned to court, the jury selection process or anything else that would prove to be helpful.

Thanks in advance.

Your EBA/award or workplace contract should have all the details on payments and how these fit with your salary.

 

[Quickstatus]

In NSW, Jurors are entitled to an per day allowance which is tiered: First 10 days for all, day 11 onwards for employed, day 11 for unemployed which is the same for allowance for first 10 days.

Jury leave is separate from annual or sick leave and employers are not allowed to make juror employees take jury leave as those leave.

Jurors are entitled to ask employers to make up the difference between the juror allowance and their normal wages for the first10 days. There is no extra travel allowance.

As the court week is M-F, 10 days would be 2 calendar weeks assuming the juror sat for the 10 days

I understand a free lunch is provided or an allowance in lieu. I think $5-10. Makes a QF meal voucher seem extravagant.

As for me, I'm entitled to be excluded by profession but I got a jury letter. Luckily I had a Qantas Classic Reward flight to the US which I could not possibly cancel that fell within the weeks specified in the letter. I wondered for a bit which excuse to use. In the end I used the travel excuse.

 

[Pushka]

My mother was called up when she was younger and she attended. She was selected for a rape trial. He was found not guilty. She wasn't happy but she was over ruled. As is correct procedure the jury found out later he'd been convicted before of other sexual assaults. My mother was extremely upset.

For anyone employed the payments are a pittance. Even for those not employed it's a pittance given that everyone else in that courtroom bar the offender and victim is paid highly. Especially the lawyers and Judge/Magistrate.

MrP was called up but was on the Olympics Team and they let him off obviously. Our EA has been called up twice but has been able to avoid as she is a single mother living way up northern suburbs.

I've never been called up, I expect I've been tagged as I'm a former Police Officer.

 

[Quickstatus]

Even for those not employed it's a pittance

If someone was on unemployment benefits - say Jobseeker, I think the juror still gets the Juror allowance. So in a way those on Jobseeker get more. I don't know if they have to declare that allowance.

 

[SydneySwan]

I have currently been called for jury service starting at end of June at Downing Centre in Sydney. Estimated trial length is a trivial 12 weeks!

Back in 2010 I was called for jury service and my employer (a NSW state government entity) insisted I should be excused via some back channels to NSW Communities & Justice department. However this did not seem popular in the jury service office and they would only excuse me for 3 months and then call me again. This happened twice so I said I would just attend court and see what happens as most potential jurors don't end up on a jury.

Got selected for a jury but prior to being officially empaneled judge read out details of case - suburb and list of witnesses. Bingo! Crime had happened in the suburb where i live and I knew one of the witnesses. Judge immediately dismissed me and I was back in my office before lunchtime. Employer very happy..

 

[oz_mark]

The times I have done Jury Service, from the work perspective:

1) Jury Service was a specific type of leave in the payroll system (at all the places I worked at)
2) In one case, they reduced the pay I would have received by the allowance given for doing jury service. Others didn't seem to bother with the calculations

In WA at least, there is a provision for employers to apply to recover the employees wages from the courts (but that's up to the employer)

 

[OZDUCK]

I have only called up for Jury Service once. I spent 3 days waiting around and the nearest I git to serving was about 3 spots back when the Jury list was complete. I was working at Customs in those days and I just told them where I was going to be and I got Jury Duty Leave and received nothing from the court.

 

[Quickstatus]

Is there an exemption if the prospective juror lives beyond a certain distance from the court?
Jury trials only occur in district courts or higher and not local courts.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Is there an exemption if the prospective juror lives beyond a certain distance from the court?
Jury trials only occur in district courts or higher and not local courts.

But the higher court can travel, occupying the building of a lower court. Country court and supreme court travel around victoria for example.

 

[Quickstatus]

But the higher court can travel,

Only to some regional centres (at least in NSW)
For example Cooma has a local court but the District court is in Queanbeyan or Goulburn.
So presumably someone living in Jindabyne who gets a Juror letter, could say that they live too far away?

 

[Pushka]

If someone was on unemployment benefits - say Jobseeker, I think the juror still gets the Juror allowance. So in a way those on Jobseeker get more. I don't know if they have to declare that allowance.

Probably knowing Centrelink.

 

[VPS]

In what is a first for me and anyone that I know of, I've been selected for Jury Service and I have no legitimate reasons that would allow me to be excused if selected to serve on a jury.

I'm a big fan of courtroom dramas, books, TV shows etc so part of me would find the whole experience interesting but I'm under no illusions that the reality is likely to be far more tedious and draining, with the potential to have a negative impact on mental and emotional health if the crime is particularly graphic.

I'm interested to know if there are any members here that have served on a jury and if you can share your experiences (excluding those that you are permanently barred from disclosing)?

How did your employer handle your absence?
Did they pay your normal salary or did you have to come to a specific agreement regarding the $40 per day you get in terms of either having that deducted from your normal pay or paying that back to the business once jury service is completed?
I understand there is no travel or meal allowance to and from the court however some form of snacks will be provided. So either parking or transport to and from the court is at your own cost.
Any tips or advice for what lies in store during this process, from being summoned to court, the jury selection process or anything else that would prove to be helpful.

Thanks in advance.

Depends what state you live in.

I did it many years ago and got work to ask if I could go on shorter trials.

I hated it