Thursday, September 5, 2013

You're Never Too Old To Experience Something New

Thursday 5th September, 2013

So far we have had the warmest start to Spring since the Bureau of Meteorology started keeping records.  The temperatures on Tuesday and Wednesday got up to near 30C degrees.  Phew! no slow build up to the heat just Wham!   Lots of people were feeling the heat the last couple of days, me included.  Today it is back down to 18C with a few spots of rain. 

Tony had to report again today for Jury duty.  He rang a short while ago to say that he would be home later than usual and so I am assuming he got called up to sit on the Jury.  I will know more when he gets home.  Not that he's allowed to tell me anything or discuss a case with me, but I'll wrangle something out of him hahhahha.

On Monday he went to the Courts but they sat around all afternoon just waiting.  Apparently there was legal argument going on and as it was explained to them, the Court gives the defendant a chance to plead guilty which results in a lesser sentence.  The lawyers each present their evidence to see if there is enough for a guilty plead.  Finally around 4.00pm the would be jurors were dismissed and could leave.

The case that Tony is sitting on is a sex abuse case.  He didn't say much, just that the case is likely to be heard over 4 days.  Today they heard the woman's evidence.  He is back in court again tomorrow afternoon as the Judge has another case he is hearing in the morning.

12 Jurors are selected from a panel of around 30.  Each lawyer can challenge the choice of a juror up to 3 times.  It has nothing to do with the juror themselves, it is just that the lawyers want a fair representation, that is male to female ratio, or depending on the case they may want more males than females or vice versa and a range of ages.  Tony said that today a female was challenged only because 3 females were chosen in a row.  He said if you do get challenged you just sit back down and don't take your place in the jury box.

I am glad it's him rather than me.  I don't know if I want to hear all the ins and outs (pardon the pun) of what went on between these two.  It will be interesting to hear which way the jury decide to go.......guilty or not guilty Your Honour.



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