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office of the sheriff new south wales

NSW Sheriff's Office . 2. Jury Room Dynamics.

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office of the sheriff new south wales

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    1. OFFICE OF THE SHERIFFNew South Wales Siobhan Ryan Juror Support Program Coordinator

    2. NSW Sheriff's Office 2 Jury Room Dynamics “One man against 10... the jury that went to war” “Ten days ago, as the rest of Sydney enjoyed a mid-autumn Sunday, 5 men & 6 women walked off a bus and into the old ground floor jury room in Oxford Street’s Central Criminal Court. “There they ended their three months together in acrimony & bitterness” Sydney Morning Herald, May 17, 2000 p.1

    3. The Juror Support Program was: Established in August 2000 to address the welfare of jurors Developed in response to reports that some jurors find the experience distressing Based on a belief that some of these jurors would benefit from professional counselling

    4. The Juror Support Program offers: Professional counselling provided by registered clinical psychologists across the state (via 3 contracted agencies) Available 7days/24hrs – telephone & face-face counselling Sheriff’s Office covers the cost of up to 3 sessions (additional sessions provided on application to the Office) Jurors may choose to access other health professionals for personal and/or cultural reasons- this cost is covered by the Sheriff's Office also.

    5. JSP Information Strategy Sheriff & Court Officers are trained in dealing with distressed jurors & delivering information about the JSP Jurors are informed after discharge Sheriff/Court Officer reads out a standard script acknowledging common reactions & introducing the JSP.(these notes were approved by Director General) Jurors are invited to take a pamphlet outlining: common feelings & reactions how the JSP works contact details of contracted counselling agencies

    6. Evaluation of theJuror Support Program March 2003 NSW Sheriff’s Office

    7. Survey Distribution & Return An Independent Project Team provided final version of the survey instrument & 2,000 return address mailing labels. Sheriff’s Office randomly selected 2,000 discharged jurors. Jurors received a covering letter, survey & postage paid, return addressed envelope. Jurors had 2 months to return. Participation was optional & anonymous. Overall return rate was 48% (approx 900 surveys)

    8. Survey Contents Demographic information about the respondent Details of most recent jury service Impact of jury service on the respondent Feedback on the effectiveness of the JSP information strategy Feedback on the need for the JSP Feedback from JSP users

    9. Demographic Mix of Respondents Almost equal proportions of males & females Representative spread across 6 age groups Cultural background 84% from English speaking backgrounds 13% from non–English speaking backgrounds 1% identifying as Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander Employment Status 73% employed/contracted 15% retirees 6% home makers 4% unemployed or student

    10. Jury Experience of Respondents 80% were 1st time jurors. 67% served at a District Court. 28% served at the Supreme Court. 94% served on a criminal trial.

    11. Location & Type of Trials Location Downing Street (46%) Newcastle (17%) Wollongong (14%) Dubbo (9%) Darlinghurst (7%) Queens Square (6%) Trial Type Sexual assault (26%) Murder (20%) Drugs (17%) Robbery (16%) Assault (15%)

    12. Length & Outcomes of Trials Length < 2 weeks (75%) 2–4 weeks (17%) 4–6 weeks (2.5%) 6–8 weeks (2.2%) > 8 weeks (2%) Outcome Not guilty (37%) Guilty (33%) Discharged before verdict (24%) Jury did not agree (5%)

    13. Major Findings Evaluation of the Juror Support Program

    14. Immediate Feelings After Discharge 49% were satisfied they’d played their part. 38% felt good about the overall experience. 9% were worried about the verdict & its impact. 3% were anxious for the victim/accused/family. 9% were upset about jury room dynamics. 7% were concerned about the jury’s decision. 15% were frustrated by the legal process. 12% were curious about sentencing/appeal.

    15. Feeling Good & Satisfied About Jury Service More Likely to Report Older people Men People from English Speaking Backgrounds 1st time jurors Less Likely to Report Jurors discharged before verdict Juries that did not agree

    16. Feeling Worried or Anxious about the Verdict & its Impact on the Victim/Accused/Family More Likely to Report Jurors serving 4–6 weeks Jurors passing a guilty verdict Women Supreme Court Jurors Less Likely to Report Jurors serving less than 2 weeks Juries discharged before verdict Students, retired, homemakers Jurors on civil cases

    17. Feeling Upset or Concerned about Jury Dynamics or Decision More Likely to Report Juries that did not agree Jurors passing a guilty verdict Women Supreme Court Jurors Jurors on murder trials Less Likely to Report Juries discharged before verdict

    18. Feeling Curious or Frustrated about Sentencing/Appeals or the Legal Process More Likely to Report Women Jurors from English speaking backgrounds Jurors aged 25–34 1st time jurors Jurors passing a guilty verdict Supreme Court Jurors Jurors on murder or kidnapping trials Less Likely to Report Jurors on civil cases Juries discharged before verdict Jurors serving for shorter periods

    19. Strategies Used to Address Concerns 32% spent time thinking about the trial (More likely to occur with murder trials, longer trials) 14% talked to someone they knew (Women, 1st timers, Supreme Court, criminal cases, murder trials) 3% thought about contacting the Juror Support Program (Women, Supreme Court, murder trials, longer cases, guilty verdicts)

    20. Strategies that Eased Concerns Talking it over with others (21%) The passage of time (15.4%) Reading the Juror Support Program brochure (5%) Assistance from Court Staff (5%) Hearing the presentation on the JSP (3%) Talking to a JSP Counsellor (0.4%) Nothing, still worried about the case (3%)

    21. Juror Support for the JSP 83% agreed that the Juror Support Program should be available. 9% reported that it made no difference if the JSP was there. (These were more likely to be men, people who did not speak English at home, District Court jurors).

    22. Sample Comments

    23. Conclusions from the Evaluation Jury service can be distressing for some jurors, particularly on long, criminal trials. Verbal & written information about the Juror Support Program helps some jurors to see their concerns as natural & normal. The vast majority of jurors use their own resources effectively to ease any concerns arising from jury service. The JSP generally provides valuable support to its users. The JSP has adequate flexibility to respond to the needs of individual jurors. Demand for the JSP is unlikely ever to be high. The JSP is a cost efficient and effective support program for jurors.

    24. NSW Sheriff's Office 24 Open Forum ?

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