Jury service and threats

[Spoilt Bi]

If you were on Jury service and someone threatened and told to lie...

what would you do?

Would you lie? or take the risk of beingbeaten in hospital or worse and continue to tell the truth?

[KiltyCol]

My experience of Jury Service is being sat in the jury waiting room most of the morning and then being sent home for the afternoon. Same again next day. BORING!!!!

We didn't see anyone who might threaten us. The biggest threat was the canteen prices.

[Lucylastic]

Jurors aren't called to give evidence and their deliberations are private?

[KiltyCol]

Jurors aren't called to give evidence and their deliberations are private?

True.

[none of the above]

I tell the truth... after making sure some of the more frisky members of my family had made it clear to whoever's giving grief it'd be best that way.

[H. Franklin Layne]

Jurors aren't called to give evidence and their deliberations are private?

Let's rearrange the circumstances a bit....you are a juror, and you are approached by an unknown individual that TELLS you the defendant is not guilty, regardless of the preponderance of evidence....and your family and loved ones are mentioned in a very unflattering manner....what do you do? Call the police, they suffer....tell the judge, they suffer.....tell a bailiff, they suffer.....vote guilty....they suffer......

What do you do?

[Lucylastic]

What do you do?

I still have only one vote in the jury and cannot guarantee to deliver the required verdict, therefore the threat is either likely to be carried out regardless of my actions or it is an empty threat. I inform the court that an approach has been made, the trial is abandoned and a fresh jury is selected.

[Rebman]

My experience of Jury Service is being sat in the jury waiting room most of the morning and then being sent home for the afternoon. Same again next day. BORING!!!!

We didn't see anyone who might threaten us. The biggest threat was the canteen prices.

You're right about the boredom of sitting waiting Col, but some of us went to a local pub for lunch as the court didn't have a canteen.

One thing I did notice was that nobody asked for proof of my identity. A friend or family member of the accused could have warned me not to turn up at the court, with threats to me and my family if I did, and then gone in my place. Nobody would have been the wiser. I pointed out this loophole in the system to a court official, but he just wasn't interested. He just said that such a thing couldn't happen and walked off.

[Lucylastic]

A friend or family member of the accused could have warned me not to turn up at the court, with threats to me and my family if I did, and then gone in my place. Nobody would have been the wiser. I pointed out this loophole in the system to a court official, but he just wasn't interested. He just said that such a thing couldn't happen and walked off.

It wouldn't be known who was on the jury until the trial began and the change in the jury for day two would probably be noticed. In any event, you could still inform the court without any undue suspicion falling on you. In very serious cases the jury is accommodated in a hotel anyway.

[H. Franklin Layne]

What do you do?

I still have only one vote in the jury and cannot guarantee to deliver the required verdict, therefore the threat is either likely to be carried out regardless of my actions or it is an empty threat. I inform the court that an approach has been made, the trial is abandoned and a fresh jury is selected.

I agree, but would add one more thing....I would make contact with family, and inform them to keep their eyes open for anything suspicious

[Rebman]

A friend or family member of the accused could have warned me not to turn up at the court, with threats to me and my family if I did, and then gone in my place. Nobody would have been the wiser. I pointed out this loophole in the system to a court official, but he just wasn't interested. He just said that such a thing couldn't happen and walked off.

It wouldn't be known who was on the jury until the trial began and the change in the jury for day two would probably be noticed. In any event, you could still inform the court without any undue suspicion falling on you. In very serious cases the jury is accommodated in a hotel anyway.

Probably so, but I still reckon they should ask for evidence of identity when you turn up for jury service. For instance, what is to stop a person thinking that he/she can't be bothered to turn up and pursuading someone else to go in their place?

[Lucylastic]

For instance, what is to stop a person thinking that he/she can't be bothered to turn up and pursuading someone else to go in their place?

I suspect you would both spend some time at Her Majesty's pleasure if you were caught.

[Rebman]

For instance, what is to stop a person thinking that he/she can't be bothered to turn up and pursuading someone else to go in their place?

I suspect you would both spend some time at Her Majesty's pleasure if you were caught.

Without checks they would probably get away with it. With checks they wouldn't even risk it, which is the point I was making in the first place.

[H. Franklin Layne]

A friend or family member of the accused could have warned me not to turn up at the court, with threats to me and my family if I did, and then gone in my place. Nobody would have been the wiser. I pointed out this loophole in the system to a court official, but he just wasn't interested. He just said that such a thing couldn't happen and walked off.

It wouldn't be known who was on the jury until the trial began and the change in the jury for day two would probably be noticed. In any event, you could still inform the court without any undue suspicion falling on you. In very serious cases the jury is accommodated in a hotel anyway.

You may think I am over dramatizing things, but there are people that go to the trials, take names, then look up whatever info possible on them......payoffs for cooperation, or threats..... everyone has a price, and money talks.

[Lucylastic]

For instance, what is to stop a person thinking that he/she can't be bothered to turn up and pursuading someone else to go in their place?

I suspect you would both spend some time at Her Majesty's pleasure if you were caught.

Without checks they would probably get away with it. With checks they wouldn't even risk it, which is the point I was making in the first place.

It's possible, indeed likely, that it happens. Whether it would have any effect on the final verdict is debatable.