28 Feb 2013

FIT FOR JURY SERVICE?

After a court case collapsed when its 12 jurors were dismissed by the judge who was worried about their grasp of the whole legal process I thought it would only be a matter of time before the jokes started.

Not one to let me down, my thanks to the friend who sent me this fun quiz which, doing the FaceBook rounds, some of you may already have seen.

What is 'reasonable doubt'? 
A: I'm not sure
B: I'm reasonably unsure
C: A doubt that is reasonable

What is the definition of guilt?
A: Eyes too close together
B: Shift-looking
C: Proven to have committed a crime

If the prosecution has failed to give enough evidence of a defendant's guilt, you should:
A: See what your friends on FaceBook think
B: Toss a coin to decide
C: Find the defendant not guilty

If the evidence is debatable, on what basis can you make an inference?
A: How fit (read as attractive, PW) the defendant looks
B: A sample of the defendant's hand writing
C: The full evidence put before the court

The guilt or innocence of a defendant is decided on:
A: Whether he/she has a nice face
B: What you've read about him/her on the internet
C: Only the evidence presented in court

Under what circumstances may a jury be 'hung'?
A: The judge is really upset with them
B: If they fancy a night in a hotel
C: If, after an extended period of deliberation, they cannot agree on a verdict either unanimously or by a majority acceptable to the judge

What does a 'unanimous verdict' mean?
A: The opinion of an unknown person
B: An unknown opinion
C: A verdict agreed by every member of the jury

What is a 'majority verdict'?
A: The opinion held by most people on FaceBook/Twitter
B: The opinion of most people on FaceBook/Twitter aged over 18

Can a juror come to a verdict based on a reason not presented in court and which has no facts or evidence to support it?
A: Yes
B: How much is it worth?
C: Definitely not

Under what circumstances can you be excused, or defer, from jury service when summoned?
A: I can't be bothered
B: It doesn't pay enough
C: By law you must do jury service when requested BUT you can defer if for example you have an operation booked

Who can you discuss your jury deliberations with?
A: Google
B: Family, friends, the person sitting next to you in the pub
C: Only other members of the jury and only in the jury room





Your score:
Mostly A OR B: You could find yourself in the dock which incidentally is where those on trial stand AND NOT where you board a cruise ship
Mostly C: It would be helpful if you were available for jury service including any retrials in which the original jury had been dismissed thanks to their failing to grasp the legal process.


Disclaimer #1 :Removal of any part of this post without my express consent is considered copyright infringement. This post was created by and for Petty Witter @ Pen and Paper. If you are reading this post on any other site please contact the original blog owner/reviewer.

14 comments:

Yanting Gueh said...

This is hilarious ~ 'reasonably unsure' and 'shift-looking.' And strangely, I could imagine a young man/lady today thinking of asking their FB friends for opinions during the trial ...

chitra said...

Hi PW, thanks for the comment on my blog. I was on a pilgrimage and before that an attack of viral fever . was down for about a month.
Trying to be as active as possible in blogosphere.

Kelly said...

I would hope anyone could correctly answer those questions!! Funny.

(I'm hoping this, my third attempt, will get the word verification right!! I guess I don't see well.)

Barbara said...

So funny ' I can't be bothered & See what your friends on FaceBook think’ really made me laugh. Thanks for sharing these, I’ve not been on Facebook lately so must go and think what my friends think of this!!

Suko said...

This is great! :D

The Bookworm said...

lol Tracy! "Family, friends, the person sitting next to you in the pub"

Melissa (Books and Things) said...

Ha ha! I can totally see people getting it wrong and not on purpose. O.o

Nikki - Notes of Life said...

You'd think jurors would have to take some kind of test first, wouldn't you?! After all, it's somebody's life that hangs in the balance at the end of the day... A guilty verdict on even a small crime could have a profound affect on someone's life.

Shooting Stars Mag said...

It is kind of crazy how almost anyone could be on a jury. Obviously, I did not hear about this, being in the U.S. but sheesh! And the quiz is hilarious. haha

Bo said...

I was responding with C's, where upon I read the results nad have now changed my answers to all A's.

Tammy @ Bo's Book Nook

Gina said...

HA HA HA HA HA! Totally needed that. =)

Stephanie@Fairday's Blog said...

How fun! I get called for jury duty all the time!

KParthasarathi said...

Your quiz made me smile

Unknown said...

:) haha. That's hilarious.