Jury Service at St.Albans Crown Court!

[Hilts]

If any of you are unlucky enough to get a jury summons for St.Albans crown Court, the parking is dire!! You either pay heeps or have to walk a coupla miles to court!

However, if you go on your bike, they have a motorcycle shed in the car park at the back of the court. It only takes 5-6 bikes but it's free and your bike is safe! They don't charge you (well not yet anyway!) and 1 min walk to court.

A Sporty is fine, if you have a full on glide or something big, it might not be so easy but if you do get the 'Black spot from Blind Pugh' and have to go, ask the security guys, they're very helpful!

[BigKev]

Cheers mate.........

Although whenever I go to court, they are always very helpful and take me in a van

[Woodlander]

I did jury service last year, and actually took the train, simply because of the pain in the 'nads parking problem. Didn't even think of taking the bike, but then again it was october.

[BaZa®]

And don't they pay all your expenses? Travelling lunch etc.

Hilts did you get an interesting case?

[SX 150]

It's always a good idea to have a bike ready outside any court,- just incase it doesent all go to plan.

[Shifty]

Originally Posted by SX 150

It's always a good idea to have a bike ready outside any court,- just incase it doesent all go to plan.

Engine running, presumably...

[Hilts]

Originally Posted by BaZa®

And don't they pay all your expenses? Travelling lunch etc.

Hilts did you get an interesting case?

Got an 'Affray' case last week but you can't discuss cases till they're finished. I'll update next week!

Expenses? The tight wad Govt grudgingly pay petrol @ £0.29.6p mile both cars and bikes. If you go by car, they'll only approve £7 per day parking and ONLY for certain journeys. WGC, Watford, Hemel etc don't qualify 'cos 'you can get a bus'...............
Loss of earnings? They can, at their discretion pay towards this but only up to a limit and a couple of self employed guys I spoke to claim they'll be out of pocket!! You get £5.50 a day subsistance but a sandwich costs up to £2.50 in their cafeteria and a small bottle of diet coke £1.75, it don't go far!!

Tell you what though, maybe only the P.M. is more powerful than a judge. Plod & barristers wet themselves when the judge bollocks them.....

[JJ68]

You're always welcome to park on my driveway as I live 5 mins walk from the town. No charge ;-)

[CovKid]

I had to do this a couple of weeks ago in Coventry. As said they don't pay for parking so I used my wifes Honda and parked for free in the town centre, about 5 minutes walk.

I noticed that there was a motorbike parked right outside the entrance to the courts so I asked the security if I could park my bike there.

He replied "At your own risk sir" I asked if he meant from parking tickets.

"No Sir, you are on jury service, if someone finds out the bike belongs to someone on jury service....Like I said Sir, at your own risk!"

I carried on parking 5 minutes away

[Hilts]

I did two cases in two weeks. One was affray. Key piece of evidence was a knife.

Second case was theft of a car. Driving while disqualified. Why it wasn't dangerous driving I don't know...........?? apx 60mph down Berkhamstead high street at 3 in the afternoon, scattering kids on a Zebra crossing, wrong way around roundabouts, going through red lights etc etc.

Key piece of evidence here was an empty fag packet and dog end, found in the abandoned car.

In the two caes, Hertfordshire plod didn't test for fingerprints. In the second case, Lady Plod told the court that 'The forensic dept didn't have money in the budget to do it............'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Both cases would have been cast iron had the dabs been taken. I expect farzands and farzands were spent bringing the two cases to court. Had they been aquitted for the sake of a piece of fingerprint evidence........

Is it any wonder we get pissed off with Speed cameras and radar traps when stuff like this is going on????

So if you do get Jury Service, Good Luck!! I hated it!!