General Chat

I'm a bundle of nerves right now, at the thought of being called yet again for jury duty! :-( But I'm usually fairly laid-back.

I was born in Scotland, my parents emigrated to Australia when I was 12. I've got a few drops of Irish, Spanish & Viking blood too.

I thought I was an Australian citizen because of something my parents did in the early 1970s... but found out in the mid 1970s that it didn't cover me because I wasn't living in their house at the time. :-( My parents just filled in some forms, but I had to go to a ceremony. These days the ceremonies are really nice, I just had to go to the local mayor's office.

I have two official passports, British & Australian, and a joke Scottish one I bought in Edinburgh :-D

That's how I picked my board name.......... Sco (for Scottish) Ozz (for Australian)... I added the Lady so people would know I'm female. :-D

Love your avatar lady S.......is that true .... mix of a scot and an Aussie is a bundle of nerves??

Thank goodness I can't be called for jury service.....,,too old!!!

:-D :- :-D

The court is in a town about an hour from us......... 55km away on a really bad road. They will take your name off the list if you're 60km away! There's no public transport, and I don't have the use of a car. How do they expect me to get there at 9am?

I'm currently seeing a physiotherapist every week, because I can't sit or stand for more than 20 minutes without being in pain (arthritis & bursitis), I also have lupus and have a heart condition. I explained all that to the sheriff's office first time, but it seems they don't care.

Being called again so soon is ridiculous.



:-(

My son was called for Jury duty and he had it put off as his wife was due to have her baby at that time. They did call him back though. He had to go for almost two weeks as it was a terrible case. On the last day he could not get out to move his car and got a parking fine which he had to pay eventually. He wrote explaining what had happened , to no avail. Also as he is self employed he lost out in wages because they would only give him the first weeks money. So a big loss for him.
Lady scozz I do hope you dont get called back

That's ridiculous!! It's not as if there aren't enough people who could take your place :-|

Unbl**dybelievable :-(

Today in the post, I got ANOTHER summons for Jury Dury!!!!! :-|

This one is starting on Monday 18th May; again not much notice.

I 'phoned the Sheriff's office and talked with a very understanding man, sent him some details and hopefully I won't have to report for duty.

He said he could keep my name off the list until (maybe) August, but if I get called again I should get a certificate from my doctor, stating I am permanently unsuitable for jury duty.

I feel like they're harassing me.

:-(

My GP is Irish :-D

good for the GP :-)

Saw the GP this morning.

When I booked the appointment, the receptionist gave me a double, she said it would take that long to write a letter.

I was in the surgery for 5 minutes...... and he gave me a medical certificate, saying i will be "unfit for dury (his spelling) duty from 9/3 to 13/4 "

Then I 'phoned the sheriff's office, was advised to email the certificate.

I hope my name gets crossed off the list..... if I get chosen again next month I'll have to go through all this AGAIN!



:-(

:-D :-D :-D



be careful, or the sheriff might visit you :-)




I've only been called for Jury duty once ........... and am now too old



I went down to the Courthouse on the appointed date, sat in the waiting room, then we were called into the Court Room in groups of 10

My name was called

I stood up

The Defense Lawyer looked me up and down, and said ...............


No




so that was me dismissed!



very off putting .......................



obviously he didn't want a white anglo-saxon woman in her 40s judging his client!!


I have no idea what the case was about ............... we weren't allowed to know that

Just the thought of being on that road for an hour gives me the horrors. It's old, full of potholes & bumps.... which my awful hip can do without.

I have therapy on the hip every week. I can't sit or stand in one position for more than half an hour; the best position for me is sitting with both legs elevated. A walk of more than 100 metres is awful, gives me terrible pain. I don't get a full night of sleep because I wake up several times and have to move. :-(

I'm sure my GP will write a convincing letter for me...... with all my ailments, and when he tells them that I am half deaf... I only have full hearing in one ear.

They shoot horses in better condition than I'm in. ;-)

That's not much notice!

It's quite easy to delay it in the UK. Can you try that?
A few years ago OH was called. He successfully applied for a postponement until after his working contract had terminated a couple of months after he was due to attend.
If/when you do go, ask if there is anyone you can hitch a lift with. They must have some scheme to off-set travel costs even if the allowance doesn't full cover it.

you don't expect Sheriffs to understand, do you??


There was a case in Britain not long ago where a mother breast feeding her 4 or 5 month old child was called for Jury duty ............... the Sheriff said she could leave the baby at home :-S


But hopefully, your doctor will be very good and write a terrific letter about how sick you are, you can't possibly sit for that long, you can't possibly drive over such a bad road, etc etc etc

Sylvia, this is a crazy situation!

The Sheriff's office need LOADS of reasons why a person can't do jury duty... I think they'd wheel people in!

For a start I won't have transport, DH needs our car for work. There is NO public transport to the town where the court is (over an hour drive, on a horrible road).

The first meeting with the Sheriff is 23 March, and that's just to choose the jury.

I have lots of appointments over the next few weeks, and will probably be having surgery in April.

The Sheriff hasn't given much notice! grrrrrr



:-(

hope that works, LS

My calendar is rather full for the next few weeks.

Tests, tests, xrays etc etc, lots of appointments.

Yesterday I got a letter from the local Sheriff...... for Jury Dury!

Arrrrrrrrgh again.

I've just made an appointment with my GP, hopefully he can write a letter saying why I can't do jury duty.