[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...shire-17630992

A woman from Blackpool who went on holiday while sitting on a jury has been jailed for 56 days.

Janet Chapman, 52, rang Preston Crown Court to say she had back pain and could not attend for two weeks.

She said she thought that obtaining a seven-day sick note for sciatica meant she would automatically not have to attend the trial.

Recorder of Preston Judge Anthony Russell QC found her guilty of contempt of court.

The deputy care home manageress had listened to three weeks of evidence in a robbery trial at Preston Crown Court but failed to appear at the start of the final week of the scheduled four-week hearing.

She said she was unfit to attend and then on the following day, 20 March, she left a telephone message with the jury bailiff which said: "Hello, this is Janet Chapman. I won't be attending court for a period of up to two weeks. I have got to return to the doctors next Tuesday. I have got sciatica. Thank you. Bye."

It emerged she had flown out with her partner from Liverpool John Lennon Airport earlier that day for a week's holiday.

Trial judge Stuart Baker had, as normal procedure, asked all potential members of the jury before the case started whether there was any reason why they could not serve the set period of time and the defendant indicated there was none.

In explaining her absence from the proceedings, the court was told the trip had been a surprise birthday present for Chapman.

The trial was delayed for two days while inquiries were made with "genuine concern at first for your welfare", said the judge.

It resulted in "significant wasted costs, personal loss to several people and considerable inconvenience".

Chapman was discharged from the jury in her absence and the trial continued and eventually concluded.

Judge Russell said: "It is essential that the duty of jury service is taken seriously by those called upon to perform it, and that it is performed diligently and responsibly.

"You have manifestly failed to perform your public duty.

"In my judgment this is a serious contempt of court which can only be met by an immediate sentence of imprisonment."

Let that be lesson to potential jurors - it's a serious business .....

[Pyramid*]

Quite right...she lied through her teeth. Her back pain wasn't that severe that she couldn't go on holiday.

if the holiday had been pre-planned - all she needed to do was explain that. Instead, she lied.

Good on the judge in question - more of them should follow by his example.

[Kazanne]

Mmmm,not sure about this one,you can batter an animal to death and get a fine,but get jailed for this,erm,something is wrong,imo.

[Kizzy]

Silly moo...haha

[Pyramid*]

Originally Posted by kazanne

Mmmm,not sure about this one,you can batter an animal to death and get a fine,but get jailed for this,erm,something is wrong,imo.

That is unfortunatelyy where the law is an ass ....... and yes, I agree that it is bizarre in comparison, but rules is rules and all that.

[Marc]

Ouch

[Jake.]

Idiot....

[Shaun]

Yes, how dare she not conform to an arbitrary old-fashioned demand.

[Mystic Mock]

Im sorry but I don't get why your forced to do it? she clearly didn't want to do it so get someone that wants to do it to actually do the Jury Service.

I think being punished for not wanting to be forced into doing something that you don't want to do is disgraceful and the law should be changed where that is concerned.

[Shaun]

Plus what's the point of having someone clearly unmotivated and lazy in charge of a defendant's life?

[Mystic Mock]

Originally Posted by Shaun

Plus what's the point of having someone clearly unmotivated and lazy in charge of a defendant's life?

Exactly but for some reason that's what the law wants.

[Jack_]

Forcing people into jury service is ridiculous as it is, jailing them for essentially refusing to partake is absurd. Freedom of choice and all that.

[Jords]

I think thats absolutely disgusting the poor woman!!

[arista]

"Let that be lesson to potential jurors - it's a serious business "

Bang On Right
Omah

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Shaun

Yes, how dare she not conform to an arbitrary old-fashioned demand.

Why is a call to jury service "arbitrary old-fashioned demand" ?

[Omah]

Originally Posted by jedward fever

Im sorry but I don't get why your forced to do it?

You should read up on civic duty and the responsibilities of the citizen.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Jack_

Forcing people into jury service is ridiculous as it is, jailing them for essentially refusing to partake is absurd. Freedom of choice and all that.

You should read up on civic duty and the responsibilities of the citizen.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Jords

I think thats absolutely disgusting the poor woman!!

Her absence cost the taxpayer tens of thousands of pounds in court and administration costs - sending her to prison is going to cost thousands more but is necessary 'pour encourager les autres'.

[Mystic Mock]

Originally Posted by Omah

You should read up on civic duty and the responsibilities of the citizen.

I know the law, it doesn't mean I necessarily agree with it.

We are suppose to live in a country where we can do what we want within reason, not be forced to do something against our will and then be punished if we don't want to do it.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by jedward fever

I know the law, it doesn't mean I necessarily agree with it.

We are suppose to live in a country where we can do what we want within reason, not be forced to do something against our will and then be punished if we don't want to do it.

You need to do more research.

[Shaun]

/you need to be more boring, jf

[Mystic Mock]

Originally Posted by Shaun

/you need to be more boring, jf

[Pyramid*]

Originally Posted by jedward fever

I know the law, it doesn't mean I necessarily agree with it.

We are suppose to live in a country where we can do what we want within reason, not be forced to do something against our will and then be punished if we don't want to do it.

We live in a country that we can do what we want, not within reason, but within the confines of the Laws of the Land in which we live.

I pay taxes against my will - should I just decide not to pay them and not be expected to be punished because I 'dont want to pay them' ?

[Mystic Mock]

Originally Posted by Pyramid*

We live in a country that we can do what we want, not within reason, but within the confines of the Laws of the Land in which we live.

I pay taxes against my will - should I just decide not to pay them and not be expected to be punished because I 'dont want to pay them' ?

Just because it's the law doesn't make it right, the woman shouldn't be forced to do Jury Service imo, and the fact that your comparing taxes to this incident is shocking as they are not the same at all, you need to pay your taxes for the welfare of this country where as going to Jury Service is not exactly gonna give more money to the country is it?

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Shaun

/you need to be more boring, jf

Originally Posted by jedward fever

Never mind .....