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Jury Summons

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Help please :unsure::(

 

I got a Jury Summons in the post today and I don't understand it, am freaking out and don't like the look of the fine they talk about on the first page. :(

 

I don't know if I 'qualify' or if an ASD counts as a mental disorder or if it means I 'lack the mental capacity, within the meaning of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, to make the decisions required of a person serving as a juror' - I do know I lack the mental capacity to know if I lack the mental capacity... :unsure:

 

There's a section about deferrals and excusals but that's more about work commitments.

 

I've spent this afternoon in A&E after having another seizure and have been told to avoid stress - this really isn't helping. Also the date for the jury duty may coincide with when I'm being admitted - it's in July and I know I have to go to hospital on the 8th and then later in July be admitted for a week but I don't know when. Can the juror people make me miss my hospital appointment?

 

There's the ASD side with freaking out about going to court, 'bad' people, making decisions and there's the uncontrolled seizure side/hosp appointments.

 

Oh, and I have to give them three telephone numbers where I can be contacted - I don't use a phone so I don't know what to do, there is no email option. And I have to reply within 7 days but my GP is away for 12 days so I can't see her about the advisability of doing this on medical grounds.

 

Please help me, this is really freaking me out and I don't know who I can get to help me with this. :tearful: :tearful:

 

:unsure::lol:

 

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is there a phone number where you can contact them? i'm sure they wouldl accept that you're not suited. our 'black and white' thinking means we aren't really cut out for that sort of thing.

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I'm no expert Mumble, having never been called myself but there are possibly people on the forum who have and who might be able to advise.

 

I would have thought that AS counts as a disability and that wouldn't automatically exempt you. I expect you would probably be able to get exemption on mental health grounds. I think you can request a deferral anyway for unmissable events like hospital appointments.

 

Don't know what to suggest about the phone issue - you surely can't be the first person they've contacted who finds phone communiction difficult. Can you get in touch with someone else at your GP surgery to help you in the meantime? Is there an address to write to?

 

You could always go out and commit a crime - you'd definitely be exempt then. ;)

 

K x

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is there a phone number where you can contact them?

Yes - but I don't do phones, so a bit of a problem :(

 

I would have thought that AS counts as a disability and that wouldn't automatically exempt you.

They do have a section on disability - it includes visual impairment, wheelchair access, hard of hearing, other... :rolleyes: I think it's more about access (in terms of physical/communication access) than coping/understanding.

 

If it were just the AS at present rather than physical and mental health issues as well I could probably cope with some extra explanation/support, but at the moment I can't.

 

There is no exemption other than for being a criminal or mentally incapacitated - only deferment or excused - but I don't know which to pick because I can't see into the future and tell them when I will be able to do it in the next 12 months and they ask me to list all the dates I can't, but how can I tell? unsure:

 

You could always go out and commit a crime - you'd definitely be exempt then. ;)

:o I dunno whether to take you literally or not... You have to have been imprisoned for more than 5 years so I'll have to perfect time travel pretty quickly to in order to fit that sentence into the next 7 days...

 

You're medically not fit at the moment and that's all you really need to say.

Thanks - although I can't see where I write that on the form - maybe I'm missing something obvious? :unsure:

 

I think I'll fill in the form as much as I can and send it with a covering letter explaining a)why I haven't given phone numbers b)why I can't do it at the moment but wasn't sure what to tick c)why I can't see into the future. I suppose if I mention the ASD they can decide themselves if I'm able to do it at some future date or not.

 

I should add, I'm not trying to get out of this or anything, just at the moment I know I couldn't cope and I honestly don't know, even with medical issues aside, if I am considered 'OK' to do jury duty being on the spectrum - I don't want to waste anyone's time.

 

 

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Mumble

 

I got one of these a few years ago and wrote to them to say I was a full time carer so wouldn't be able to attend. I included a copy of my carers allowance letter and copy of my son's DLA letter and diagnosis.

 

If you write and include any relevant copies of letters you have (diagnosis, DLA, current letters with hospital - whatever you've got basically), also ask them to take your name off their list so they don't ask you again for a few years.

 

I had no problem at all with this and I'm sure you won't either. Obviously it helps if you respond quite quickly.

 

Good luck

 

Wendy x

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This site says you are exempted if you are receiving treatment for a mental health condition.

There is also an email address you can contact them on.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople...ourt/DG_4018635

 

You should also tell them that your autism means that you are unable to read people's non-verbal communication and cannot make a judgement about whether the person is telling the truth. If you have sensory difficulties, you may not be able to hear what is being said either. Also mention about your upcoming hospital appointment and week-long admission, even though you do not have the dates confirmed yet.

 

I think there are many grounds for them to at least defer your jury service.

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This site says you are exempted if you are receiving treatment for a mental health condition.

There is also an email address you can contact them on.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople...ourt/DG_4018635

 

You should also tell them that your autism means that you are unable to read people's non-verbal communication and cannot make a judgement about whether the person is telling the truth. If you have sensory difficulties, you may not be able to hear what is being said either. Also mention about your upcoming hospital appointment and week-long admission, even though you do not have the dates confirmed yet.

 

I think there are many grounds for them to at least defer your jury service.

Thanks Tally :)

 

As I had to (unexpectedly) see my GP today (which was actually fortunate as she's off from tomorrow) I raised this and the whole psych team were in having a meeting too (and it's most disconcerting when you know you're on the agenda... :unsure::huh:) and they've all said no way am I to do this as I currently am, I should write a letter to the summons people and then if any medical evidence is needed they'll sort it for me :)

 

I might be able to do it in future (and part of me is quite interested) but there are, as you raise, all sorts of issues around understanding, especially the non-verbal. It's made me think loads - for instance, what's the point of that "I do solemnly swear to tell the truth..." bit when everyone knows they're likely to lie if they think the can get away with it? :unsure: And what if they don't believe in God, what's with the "...so help me God, bit" and swearing on the Bible? :unsure: And what if a unanimous verdict is needed and I can't decide if they're guilty or not? :unsure: And what if I make the wrong decision - am I then guilty? :unsure:

 

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And what if a unanimous verdict is needed and I can't decide if they're guilty or not? :unsure: And what if I make the wrong decision - am I then guilty? :unsure:

You are not deciding whether you think the person did it or not. You are deciding whether there is enough evidence to be sure the person did it. If you let someone go free who actually committed the crime, this does not make you as bad as the person who committed the crime, it just means that you felt the evidence wasn't strong enough.

 

Your role would all be explained to you when you went, so don't worry about all these things. In all likelihood, you would be dealing with a series of minor offences. You would be very unlucky to end up on some high-profile drawn-out case.

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And what if they don't believe in God, what's with the "...so help me God, bit" and swearing on the Bible?

 

Ooh I know the answer to this one. You are allowed to "affirm" rather than swear on the Bible.

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There are a number of visual processing problems that could exempt a person from jury service.

 

These include prosopagnosia - around 75% of those on the spectrum show symptoms, the McGurk effect - which will make it difficult to understand evidence - again common in ASD, visual sequencing and mapping anomalies - common is ASD, and other visual perceptual difficulties and visuallly evoked sensory integration problems.

 

Obviously some on the spectrum will have no problems and should become a juror, but serious consideration should be given to exemption to many.

 

 

 

 

 

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Mumble, my Mother-in-law was called up for jury service a couple of years ago and felt she couldn't cope with it at all. She discussed it with the docs and they wrote her a letter explaining that it would cause her undue stress and anxiety. She was then excused from jury service with no more questions asked. I believe that the Citizens Advice Bureau can also help you, possibly by phoning the help lines for you.

Hope the hospital stay goes well for you

>:D<<'> >:D<<'> >:D<<'>

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You are not deciding whether you think the person did it or not.

I didn't know that. OK, makes a bit more sense now.

 

There are a number of visual processing problems that could exempt a person from jury service.

 

These include prosopagnosia - around 75% of those on the spectrum show symptoms

This is something that really worries me as it is a major problem I have. I know when I was a teenage girl there was an incident involving a horrible man and myself and the other girls who used to travel to school on my train. The man went on to commit much more serious crimes with other girls. We all had to give statements and describe him to the police. I didn't know about my face recognition problems then - I thought everyone saw as I did - my description, full of maybes, was nothing like the other girls' and I think if they'd gone on that my next-door-neighbour would have been convicted rather than the real perpetrator. :oops:

 

I've posted a letter to them and outlined the various difficulties and completed the form as best I can so I'll wait to see what they say. There's nothing more I can do with it, so no point worrying about it now.

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