The Trial -Days 2 and 3

Thurs/Friday week 2
The last two days have been exhausting. It's impossible to be a juror and disengage your emotions. Ours is a tragic story and we all, without exception, have become increasingly subdued as the story unfolds and in one or two cases quite upset.
As you know I can't discuss the case but anything I do tell you about the proceedings you could have seen for yourself from the public gallery.

Some thoughts about the ceremony of it all. It seems to me that what I once considered 'pomp and circumstance' actually serves to focus everyone's minds on the seriousness of the task in hand. We, the jury, always file in in order, after we have been announced: 'Jury!' The court -mostly robed and bewigged -is already assembled before us. Lastly,a loud knock on the door to the Judge's bench followed by an announcement from the clerk of court signals the entrance of His Honour: 'Silence in court, please be upstanding.'
It's theatre, it's tradition.... but it works.

On Day 2 I held a murder weapon wrapped in protective plastic, learned the difference between various spatters of blood and listened to the graphic details of the findings of the pathologist's post mortem. CSI this isn't.

One thing's for sure, being on a jury is an education.
If one could forget that she was talking about an actual incident, ( which I couldn't ) the forensic scientist from the Home Office was fascinating. She explained just exactly what DNA is and how they can form their deductions from it. She then guided us through our file of photographs and explained each blood spatter . She can tell which is impact blood and which is expirated blood.
Hark at me the new expert. A bit of cross examination from the defence to clarify points and then next up, the detective in charge of the case.

The detective came with the transcript of her first major interview after the defendant had been charged. She read her part out and the junior prosecution barrister read all the others. This was quite lengthy and took us up to lunch time. Quite frankly , I have never heard a script in a tv drama that has come anywhere close.

Headed outside to clear my head. Needed a nicotine fix and a stiff drink. Three of us debated going to a pub but reason kicked in and we didn't.
The media were still out in force - the Jenkins case is big news.

Back in for a bite to eat and joined 2 jurors I had been talking to in week 1 ..the barrister, and a train driver. I needed the distraction. When you hang out with your own jury all you want to do is talk about your case...and sometimes you just don't want to. They are in the court next door and among their number is the deerkeeper from Richmond Park. It takes all sorts to form a jury.

They had been listening to a mobile phone expert from BT who had told them just how he tracks people by their phones. Whether you make a phone call or not, your mobile is your very own tracking device . Not to be outdone I showed off my newly found forensic knowledge.

Back down to our 'waiting area' at 2. There is a scrum at the lifts. A preselection group of 50 is heading down. We know what that means - a marathon case.
On the way we lost our London cabbie. He had blindly followed the wrong jury down to a different floor before realising he didn't recognise anyone. When he appeared we ribbed him mercilessly about his sense of direction and 'knowledge' of The Bailey! We all badly needed a laugh.

The afternoon was taken up with the rest of the police transcript, and then came the Home Office pathologist. He gave a detailed description of the post mortem, referring us to our graphic drawings of the deceased and then explained his findings. I won't go into detail. But it wasn't pleasant.

His Honour called it a day after that, as the next witnesses had been called for Friday and we were ahead of schedule. We had all had enough by then. It had been heavy going and our mood was sombre. One of the younger jurors was in tears.
I badly needed a drink and I was due to meet 2 friends for dinner. I desperately wanted to 'download' the case but I knew this wasn't allowed.On the otherhand I didn't want to just go home. So I head out for the evening and find I am not the best company.
This blog is fast becoming my therapy.

Friday. Trial day 3.
Two psychiatrists today. One for the prosecution and one for the defence. They have both been involved at different stages of the story and ultimately they both agree. We are stood down for a two hour lunch break - the two opposing barristers want to have legal discussion.We think there is something in the air. Back in Jury Assembly we all avidly discuss the case amongst ourselves. This being Friday,with the week's cases in full swing,there are groups of jurors sticking together everywhere in deep discussion. The Jenkins Jury have taken over the higher level sofa area by the windows. We regard them as the 'glamour team'.
Wander out for a breath of fresh air. Camera crews everywhere. Someone says 'the shoe bomber' is about to be sentenced. It's certainly all go this week .After lunch the defence barrister begins his case. The second psychiatrist is called. He takes us up to 3 and once again M'Lud calls it a day. He addresses the jury,
telling us to have a nice weekend and reports that the weather is going to be sunny. He then asks us to put the case out of our minds until Monday.
Is he kidding?