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General Category => Discover Seattle! => Topic started by: Gopher on Jan 12 07 11:49

Title: Jury Service
Post by: Gopher on Jan 12 07 11:49
Has anyone any experience of this?
Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: P.C. on Jan 12 07 11:52
I've been summoned for jury duty twice.  The first time I was excused, because I happen to be in the middle of my own court case.  The second time, I went to the courthouse  waited for 2 1/2 hours (got a parking ticket for my effort) only to find out the case was cancelled for some reason.
Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: 49er on Jan 12 07 12:08
I've been summoned for jury duty on many occasions.  The farthest I've gotten was picked for a panel on an attempted murder case.  I was questioned by both the prosecutor and the defendent's lawyer.  The defending lawyer excluded me in the final selection.  I was told in general that the defense normally does not like white collar professionals on a jury panel
Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: purelife on Jan 12 07 12:09
Nope.  *knock on wood* I don't ever want to be summoned.  
Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: P.C. on Jan 12 07 12:12
Really purelife ?  I was disappointed.  I think it would be really interesting.
Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: purelife on Jan 12 07 12:14
I have other obligations that would never permit me to lose my income during the period of time away.  And, the not knowing how long you'll be on jury duty just erks me.  I've heard some trials lasting from 2 days to months to years.  Look at the Pickton case.  
Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: 49er on Jan 12 07 12:16
some employers, as mine, pay for the days one is on jury duty
Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: purelife on Jan 12 07 12:19
They do, like my employer would to a certain period of time.  I wouldn't use up my vacation days to attend this.  

  If jury duty was for a day or two, then yes, I would be happy to attend.
Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: Russ on Jan 12 07 12:19
I would be supremely upset if I was chosen and missed going back to work after my time off.. I would lose my job, and I guarrantee (SP?) you that I would not be reimbursed sufficiently.

  That being said, I have been told I should not be chosen because I work out of country (I have asked before). Im gone for 7-8 months of the year.. and I bring foreign money into the country, not generate it from within.

    EDIT: If it was only a couple of days up to a week I would be happy to attend. If it ran into my time due back, I would have no problem with that.. neither would my company.
Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: P.C. on Jan 12 07 12:24
I'm not 100% about this Russ, but I think an employer can not fire you if you are chosen for jury duty.

  49er, the jurers for the Picton trial are making a pretty decent amount....I was quite surprized.  Certainly not comparable to a career salary, but better than I expected.
Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: Lise on Jan 12 07 12:27
Nope. *knock on wood*

  Do you get any type of compensation if you go on jury duty?
Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: 49er on Jan 12 07 12:37
I don't think any jury member is paid enough to view pics or video of a gory murder scene or of the remains of the victims in a homicide trial
Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: Russ on Jan 12 07 12:41
P.C. wrote:
 I'm not 100% about this Russ, but I think an employer can not fire you if you are chosen for jury duty.

For Canadian companies yes.. I work for an international company not based in canada. I doubt they would care about canadian law.

  49er, the jurers for the Picton trial are making a pretty decent amount....I was quite surprized.  Certainly not comparable to a career salary, but better than I expected.

So they did raise the payscale then PC? I remember hearing about them talking about it on the news, cause they expected it to be an immensely long trial. But there was lots of opposition to it, saying it would raise the costs of the trial for the province, as well as setting a precedent requiring them to raise the pay of all the trials.

    Was that question directed at me Lise? I get nothing from my company if I go on a jury. Because I work overseas, Im not supposed to be on the bank of availability (or whatever its called).
   
Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: kingy on Jan 12 07 01:10
ive never been to summoned but i think there are ways to get out of jury duty.

  *GUILTY*
Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: purelife on Jan 12 07 01:27
The government pays you for attending jury duty by the day.  I don't remember how much but it's very nominal, like 20 bucks.  They also pay for your room and board at the local hotel.  As far as I am aware, you are not allowed to contact or speak to anyone, including family and the neighbor jurorer during jury duty.  It's very strict.
Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: P.C. on Jan 12 07 01:40
 The is from the 24 page Media Information Guide regarding the Pickton Trial from the Minsitry of the Attourney General

 [A href="vny!://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/courts/pickton/media/info_pkg.pdf"]vny!://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/courts/pickton/media/info_pkg.pdf[/A]

 In British Columbia, jurors are paid on a sliding scale by regulation under the [FONT face="Times New Roman Italic,Times New Roman Italic"]Jury Act[/FONT]. They receive $20 a day for each of the first 10 days of the trial; $60 a day for the 11[FONT size=1]th [/FONT]to 49[FONT size=1]th [/FONT]days of the trial; and $100 a day for the 50[FONT size=1]th [/FONT]and each subsequent day of the trial. In addition, there are provisions contained in the [FONT face="Times New Roman Italic,Times New Roman Italic"]Employment Standards Act [/FONT]and [FONT face="Times New Roman Italic,Times New Roman Italic"]Employment Insurance Act [/FONT]that apply to persons selected to be on a jury.

 In British Columbia, juries are not normally sequestered during a trial. A jury may be sequestered for verdict deliberations once the presentation of evidence has concluded and jurors have received their final instructions from the Judge.

Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: Lise on Jan 12 07 02:44
The longer you sit as a jury, I guess the more Raging Poodle you get. It still sucks though. I wouldn't want to listen to a case and then deliberate about the whole thing for eons.

  Thanks for the article, PC. That was quite insightful.
Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: kingy on Jan 12 07 03:09
not that i would know but i think the worst part would be if you had to watch a video tape of something horrible, ala karla holmolka tapes.
Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: purelife on Jan 12 07 03:12
The movie is probably very dreadful.
Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: Lise on Jan 12 07 03:13
I would not want to sit for a high profile case like hers or the Picton one. *shudder*
Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: Russ on Jan 12 07 03:22
When my mother did jury duty, she was home every night. Had to be there at 730 in the morning or something. When they finally went into deliberation they were sequestered and put into a hotel.
Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: Ally on Jan 12 07 03:38
I got summoned once, but **didn't show**.  I figured that if anything happened I would pretend that I didn't get the summons.

  Nothing happened.
Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: Gopher on Jan 13 07 11:55
I've not been summoned, but if I were I think I'd follow Ally's example. It's a subject I feel very uncomfortable about; I know it's not a case of actually passing judgement on  another person - but even so it doesn't fit into my 'scheme of things'.
Title: Re: Jury Service
Post by: P.C. on Jan 13 07 12:17
I wonder what frightens people so when it comes to the J word.  

People pass judgement every minute of every day.  Having GOOD judgement is what keeps us from harms way.  BAD judgement usually lands us in the middle of something undesiralbe.  You will use your judgement to decide if this post has any relevence to you or whether it is meaningless.  No harm done either way.