A sheriff has ordered four people who didn’t turn up for jury duty to pay a total of £1,500 in fines and warned that jurors can’t ignore the rules “willy-nilly”.
Sheriff Graeme Napier hauled the four into the dock to explain themselves and revealed their absences almost meant a court case could not take place.
All four had their £500 fines upheld, although two were remitted – reduced – to £250.
First in the dock to face the sheriff was Rebekah Fulton.
He told her: “You were in court on the Monday and I was in court on the Monday and we selected a jury of 15, and when it came to Wednesday, and I was about to empanel another jury, we had so few people turn up they were almost not able to start the case.
“It was 10.30am, by which time only 31 jurors had turned up.
“I had the names shouted out to check who had not turned up and yours was one of them.
“We can’t run this case if people just willy-nilly don’t turn up.
“Fortunately 31 people understood what the position was.
“Why should I not deal with you by imposing a financial penalty?”
The sheriff continued: “I just have to emphasise this is being done because it’s a very important function. People can’t have their trials unless we have jurors.”
Ms Fulton said: “I’m sorry.”
She was ordered to pay a £250 fine.
Speaking outside court, Ms Fulton said: “They don’t emphasise the importance of the process enough if there was so many jurors who didn’t turn up.”
She added: “It’s my fault.”
Graeme Taylor was the next to be called into the dock and he said a mix-up with the jurors’ attendance update telephone line was the reason for his absence.
Sheriff Napier said: “Is there any reason why I should not allow the fine to remain?”
Mr Taylor said: “You’re supposed to phone on the Monday after 5pm. This I did. I thought numbers between 1 and 60 were not required so I thought that was the end of the matter.”
Sheriff Napier said: “Well you didn’t listen to the whole message. The message was you were not required the following day and you were to phone again the following day.”
Mr Taylor replied: “I just took it that was the message.”
Sheriff Napier said: “It wasn’t the message. You didn’t listen to the whole message.
“We almost weren’t able to run a jury trial because of the people who didn’t turn up.”
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He ordered him to pay the full £500 fine, which had been imposed on February 1.
The next no-show to explain himself was Kieran Holmes, who said he hadn’t realised another jury trial had “popped up”.
Mr Holmes explained he had been told he wasn’t required, to which the sheriff replied: “How do you explain the fact 31 of the other people who were on the jury panel managed to turn up? They listened to the whole message, not what they wanted to hear.”
Mr Holmes said: “No, that’s not right. I never knew another case had popped up.”
Sheriff Napier said: “We were almost not able to run that case. If there had been one less person turn up we wouldn’t have been able to do it.”
He ordered Mr Holmes to pay the full £500.
Outside court afterwords, Mr Holmes said: “It’s just obviously a bit of a misunderstanding.
“I got a letter through the door stating I was due them £500. It’s a bit harsh. I was shocked.”
Asked how he felt about standing in the dock facing the sheriff, he said: “I don’t belong there. That’s the thing with court, it makes you feel like you’ve done something wrong.”
The final juror to stand in the dock was Kieran Wilson who, asked if his position was any different, began: “I arrived on the Monday…”
Sheriff Napier interrupted: “I know the story. I was there.”
He explained he was not required after not being selected for the first case and the sheriff said: “You didn’t listen to the whole message.”
Mr Wilson said: “I didn’t realise the jurors would be carried on to a different case.”
Sheriff Napier said: “The reason why I impose fines is because we had so many people who didn’t turn up we almost weren’t able to run the jury and it was a serious case.”
Mr Wilson’s fine was remitted to £250.
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