Jury Duty - Sitting Quietly in my Chair Continues

This is a continuation of yesterday's blog based on my personal experiences being summoned for Jury Duty.

Statue outside 361 University Ave Courthouse

Day 2: 

Today we were instructed to arrive at 9:30; as courts start proceedings at 10:00 am daily.  It took several minutes to get through security; however if you were selected to be a Juror on a trial your form was stamped in large red letters 'Juror' and you were expedited through the process; so you would not have to line-up.

Found a comfortable seat and proceeded to read for hours with my head phones on.  Around 10:30 the court officers read out names of the presumed absent.  Nobody stood up.  I asked later what happens if you don't show up to an officer; but they only mystically said you would be in 'trouble.'

The clock moves by and it sorta feels like I'm in school detention.  Around 1:00 we are dismissed for Lunch and come back again at 2:00.  Sat around for 45 minutes and then it was announced that all juror panels were dismissed for the day and to report back at 9:30.  The room erupts in loud applause and cheers; like Canada just won a gold medal in hockey.

Day 3:

Again, show up at 9:30 and were instructed to sit and wait.  Around 11:30 the Juror Supervisor comes out and announces that Jury Panels 61 and 64 are dismissed for the day and they are required to show up for 9:30 tomorrow.   Half the room erupts in cheer and the part of room grumbles and I'm green with envy as I'm in panel 62.

Around 12:00 the Juror Supervisor asks if anyone remains from panel 61 or 64.  Nobody stands up.  Then he addresses us and explains the process of getting proof of jury duty and how it works getting a note for your employer.  Further he reminds us to keep are Jury summons and that we are exempt from Jury duty for 3 years.  He then announces that we are dismissed for the remainder of the week.  The crowd erupts like the Leafs just won the Stanley Cup.... smiles everywhere and high-fives.  The Juror supervisor knew that we are just like a bunch of children and would tune out if he told us the good news first.  The room vacated rather quickly and suddenly I was not jealous of the other 2 panels who had to return tomorrow.

Went home.  Opened a beer, bag of potato chips and watched the Runaway Jury.  Rachel Weisz is guilty of stealing my heart.  Of course my wife got their first.

Other People's Experiences:

In speaking to a few other friends who have summoned to Jury Duty that my experience was common.  Only once did they have to go to a courtroom to be part of juror selection and most had to sit in the panel room for 3 to 5 days.  A couple of other people I know had a doctors note or claimed financial hardship and were excused the first day.  As I know many Chartered Accountants, a couple of them made it to the witness stand but were 'challenged' by the prosecution.  Based on my own experience and talking to others it appears that people whose profession involves investigation, law/regulatory enforcement are usually 'challenged' by the prosecution.

It is hard to know in detail what it is like be an actual juror as you are forbidden to talk about the case and what is said by your fellow jurors.  I know a couple of people and they just didn't want to talk about it.  I think it is a painful process and something most people don't want to relive.

How to Make the Best of your Time:

Looking around the jury room many people seemed content and were making best of the situation.  Others looked miserable and were visibly stir crazy.  Here are my suggestions to keeping oneself entertained:

• Bring your Smartphone, Tablet or Laptop and a pair of headphones.  Pre-load it with movies, tv shows, music, podcasts or magazines.  To get free access to some entertainment via the Toronto Public Library see my articles on Zinio (free magazines), or Hoopla (Movies, Music and TV).  I suggest pre-loading it as the WiFi connection available in the Jury Panel room was unstable likely due to the number of users.  You should bring your phone charger just in case . 
• Try some small talk with your neighbors, I had several pleasant conversations with my seat neighbors. You could see several groups of people having lively conversations and looked like they were already best of friends.
• Bring a book, newspapers, magazines or puzzle books.   
• Bring snacks (fruit, cookies, etc) and a decent cup of coffee.  There is a snack stand that you have direct access to get a coffee, muffin, bagel, etc.  But, I was told the coffee was awful and the bagel just okay.  There is a daily lunch hour from 1:00 to 2:00
• You could get work done on your laptop; but I would not be that person who's on their cell phone all day talking.  People will give you the evil eye and I heard people being shushed.  Don't be that guy!
• Bring a deck of cars or board games.  I saw some people playing Euchre and Cribbage.

Little Things I Learned:

I chatted with several people and I did manage to get some information from the Court Services Officers:

• Most trials start on a Monday and Juries are selected after pre-trial motions typically mid to late day on a Monday or the following Tuesday.  
• Many juries do not ever have to reach a verdict as they are dismissed during the trial as the defendant will change their plea and settle with prosecution.  This is often based on a gambit that a key witness for the prosecution won't show up (police officer, sexual assault victim, etc.) 
• Once you are on the provincial juror registration list, you can be summoned to jury duty several times throughout your life.  Some people had been summoned for jury duty 4 or 5 times and they looked to be in their mid sixties.  There is no upper age restriction to serving.  
• From the Ontario Attorney's General website to my experiences and directly asking a court employee I could not get an answer to how peoples names get added to juror rolls.  Many people I spoke to were in there mid-thirties to early 40's who were being summoned for the first time.  One person was 18 and a high school student.  Unscientifically, looking around the room there was very few people who looked under thirty.  Most of my friends in their thirties have never been summoned.  
• You can be blind to serve on jury duty or have mobility disabilities; but you can not be deaf.  You have to be able to hear the witnesses and court instructions in their own words. (Unless they are being translated out of necessity.)
• Cameras, recording devices, etc are not allowed in the court room. It is also illegal to film or photograph anywhere in the court building.  They do have sketch artists.
• There is no dress code for Jurors.  You are required to be 'neat and clean.'  To which I presume means bathed and modestly presentable.  Most people dressed business casual or jeans and a decent top.  Nobody dressed in a 'Dead Kennedy's' T-shirt, Batman costume or with an aluminium wrap hat like I joked about before going.  People did noticeably dress more casual for the second and third day of jury duty.  
• Lastly, giving the court officers attitude or whining.  They must hear it everyday and mostly on a Monday.  Leave these people alone unless you really can't be there.  Put yourself in their shoes and imagine what patience they have in dealing with you.  There is an order and set of procedures, you are not a VIP.  Although, I have no clue what would be happen if you were a very public figure and potentially a distraction in the court room.

Comments? Thoughts? Suggestions?  Anything you want to add about your own experience that is not confidential per the instructions of the court?