Day 243: Raging Against the Machine
Warning: Sleep-deprivation Motivated Rant Ahead. I'm a little disillusioned by the justice system. More so than I was a few days ago. You might conclude it's because I am annoyed. But I think I am justifiedly annoyed. I just had my Jury Duty Experience and it was a colossal waste of time and a major inconvenience that had me going from Sunday at about one p.m to Tuesday eleven a.m with only five hours sleep in there somewhere. I have questions which I am at a loss to understand don't already have answers (although they are tantamount to understanding why polititians seem to be so stupid!) One: Does the court system not know what 'Police Dispatchers' do? Or what systems they use in order to do it? Being workplace cousins, one would think that they would have some knowledge of our role and the fact that it means you work with police while they apprehend 'alleged' criminals. But for some reason, the form you fill out where you say that you are a Police Dispatcher doesn't proclude you from serving on a jury until you sit all morning in a room full of potentials and listen to the incessant calling of numbers and yays and nays, only then be advised that your very restrictive and job-based access to criminal records excludes you from service. Two: Why not ask that question on the form? I can't arrest anyone, I can't prosecute, defend or advise anyone on points of law. Those are the questions they ask currently. Pop in a 'Does your role provide access to LEAP or Criminal Records?' question and everyone at my workplace could be saved the rigmarole of shift changes and being shafted for nothing.
Irene List_Addict
Can you tell I'm cross? It's because on top of all of that they threw out my dips! But that is another story. The thing that annoys me the most is the inference I make of the inference they are making about me. Because what they say is that if you get into the courtroom and get given the details of the accused and all the witnesses and parties involved, then you are expected to do two things: advise if any of the parties are in any way known to you, and not Google or source any information. They are saying that just because I have access to a system which holds information about all sorts of people that I will not say if I know the parties in any way, like for example they are my uncle or I have had cause to look up their file in the execution of my duties, and, that I will use that system as my own personal Google to find out information. What happened to innocent before guilty? They don't give me the same benefit of doubt that they give to everyone else. LEAP and Criminal Records are intensly monitored. You make a declaration every single day that you will not access it in any relation other than a traceable work flow, meaning it has to be related to a police job number or a police call sign. It would be far easier to Google about these people. I was excited to do my civic duty and be part of a process which theoretically is designed to make the world a better place, fairer, juster, safer. I was excited because two trials were going for six and eight weeks. They would have been interesting and intriguing. Instead I come away feeling like I am the judged one—unfairly judged. They say you shouldn't take it personally when you are dismissed. But that is because normally they don't have as much to go on as they had with me. They implied I was not trustworthy, that I was not impartial. I shouldn't have told the truth—that's a much fairer way to run a justice system!
And I'm not even going to start with the work side of this saga. Just one last question: what is it about positions of authority that causes the position holders to loose all sense of logic? We down here in the ranks can see it, why can't they? Rant Over.
Oops, nearly forgot the fashion. Today's look inspired by this frock at Valentino.
The Outfit
Shirt: Retail, Howard Showers (quite old)
Dress(ing Gown): Op-shopped
Belt: Op-shopped
Necklace: Bead shop at Highpoint (Knifepoint) Shopping Centre
Shoes: Irregular Choice 'Bloxy'
Photographer de Jour: V——
Who wore it better?
Getting linky today with:
Can you tell I'm cross? It's because on top of all of that they threw out my dips! But that is another story. The thing that annoys me the most is the inference I make of the inference they are making about me. Because what they say is that if you get into the courtroom and get given the details of the accused and all the witnesses and parties involved, then you are expected to do two things: advise if any of the parties are in any way known to you, and not Google or source any information. They are saying that just because I have access to a system which holds information about all sorts of people that I will not say if I know the parties in any way, like for example they are my uncle or I have had cause to look up their file in the execution of my duties, and, that I will use that system as my own personal Google to find out information. What happened to innocent before guilty? They don't give me the same benefit of doubt that they give to everyone else. LEAP and Criminal Records are intensly monitored. You make a declaration every single day that you will not access it in any relation other than a traceable work flow, meaning it has to be related to a police job number or a police call sign. It would be far easier to Google about these people. I was excited to do my civic duty and be part of a process which theoretically is designed to make the world a better place, fairer, juster, safer. I was excited because two trials were going for six and eight weeks. They would have been interesting and intriguing. Instead I come away feeling like I am the judged one—unfairly judged. They say you shouldn't take it personally when you are dismissed. But that is because normally they don't have as much to go on as they had with me. They implied I was not trustworthy, that I was not impartial. I shouldn't have told the truth—that's a much fairer way to run a justice system!
And I'm not even going to start with the work side of this saga. Just one last question: what is it about positions of authority that causes the position holders to loose all sense of logic? We down here in the ranks can see it, why can't they? Rant Over.
Oops, nearly forgot the fashion. Today's look inspired by this frock at Valentino.
Who wore it better?
Getting linky today with:
I love how you paired the pink shoes with the red dress! You look fabulous!!
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ReplyDeleteIn the immortal words of Strother Martin in the great Movie Cool Hand Luke..."What we've got here is failure to communicate." The reality of the situation is you just can not put Brains in Monuments.
ReplyDeleteWell I have been called to jury duty on Sept 1st and honestly I'm not looking forward to it. It is far away to drive daily, little or no parking, in a town I don't know. I would love to be excused from the whole thing. Although I think it will be interesting I also think just the commuting will take 2 hours per day. Plus an expenses we incur we pay out of pocket. I know it's my civic duty bla bla bla but I wish I were like my husband, just puts on the form that he is a lawyer and he is never called again.
ReplyDeletePeople in the court system find ways of wasting time and money. It is all built on red tape. Too bad you had to waste all that time.
I do like the red and pink and that choker is hot : )
bisous
Suzanne
Isn't there a thing there (and I imagine the Canadian system would be more akin to ours in Oz given our shared ancestry in Europe) that gives you an out due to distance and access? I was so excited but I am sure it wouldn't have been like in the movies! Xxx
DeleteReminds me of my time as a scientist in the Bible belt of Indiana. I was told by the professor I was working with that he only hires religious people because they answer to a higher being and therefore would not fudge their research. He inferred that I on the other hand answer to no one and can make up my whole PhD without fear of the wrath of God. Highly educated people..... mmm mmmm.
ReplyDeleteDxx