the justice league

[the_siobhan]

My second time being called up but my first time actually getting out of the waiting room. They pulled the entire crowd of us - about 200 people - into a court room where the charges were read. Then they broke us up into groups of 25, gave each group a time to return, and started pulling us one by one into a separate room to be interviewed.

Thing I did not know, jurors get a say in the process of jury selection. The first person picked get to say yes or no on the second. Then they both get a say in picking juror number 3. Then 2 & 3 get a say on juror number 4. Then 3 & 4 get a say on number 5. And so on. And they pick 14 people, not 12, in case there is a last minute reason why somebody suddenly can't make it.

So now I've learned something.

Anyway, I did not get picked for the jury. They have another jury selection to do this week but that doesn't start until the first one is filled so I don't have to be back in the courthouse until Friday.

Comments

[redbird]

Interesting—that's not the way jury selection works in New York, and I haven't heard of it happening elsewhere.

[jeliza]

That's not how they do it here, either. That seems like the sort of change that would have an interesting backstory.

[the_siobhan]

Well it's supposed to be the British system, so I'd be interested in knowing how they do it in England these days.

The lawyers all wear robes in court too.

[the_axel]

I did some reading. It seems that now it is only the prosecution that can ask for a juror to be stood down, to do so they need to prove to the judge that they have cause to do so, and should have the defence lawyer agree with them.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7180764.stm
https://www.inbrief.co.uk/legal-system/jury-selection-process/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7180764.stm
https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/jury-vetting

[greylock]

I haven't done jury duty, but I am pretty sure that's now how it's done here either.

The lawyers all wear robes in court too.

Robes & wigs is here something for the higher courts, I think District and above. My understanding of the UK (based on fuzzy memories of The Bill) is all lawyers there wear robes).