Jury Duty
Submitted: Tuesday, Feb 07, 2012 at 11:38
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new boy
We were away April 10 to April 11over East whilst away a summons to do jury duty came addressed to an old work PO box which had been superseded by a change to a residential address in June 1998 (at the electoral office where juror,s are taken from).
Cut a long story short I received first and only a notification (no idea where the rest ended up) that since 13 January 2012 because I hadn,t paid the fine my licence had been cancelled panic not a nice feeling driving without a licence. So I paid it yesterday because Bureaucracy works soooooooooo slowly I cant afford to drive whilst it gets sorted so today I start the fight to get a refund.
Anyone going away for extended lengths of time make sure someone is in charge of your mail and deals with these things promptly
Reply By: The Bantam - Tuesday, Feb 07, 2012 at 13:04
Tuesday, Feb 07, 2012 at 13:04
So they unlawfully suspended your licence, because you had not paid and unjust fine, for an offence you knew nothing about, all due to the government's failure to keep track of a long ago prorperly changed address.
In essence you are being persicuted for government incompetence.
Oh I'd be getting very angry.
Go an have a look at the Ausie speeding fines web site....its worth coughing up for their package, because it covers some issues other then speeding fines.
There are serious legal questions about the practice of states suspending or revoking licences for reasons and offences other than those related to road safety.
cheers
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477187
Follow Up By: vk1dx - Tuesday, Feb 07, 2012 at 13:18
Tuesday, Feb 07, 2012 at 13:18
If my GPS log was to show that I was speeding at the same place, date and time then I would pay it.
If the log said elsewise then I would send then a copy of the log and ask them to look again.
But then again I have not been caught for speeding since mid 1969.
Phil
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Reply By: vk1dx - Tuesday, Feb 07, 2012 at 13:14
Tuesday, Feb 07, 2012 at 13:14
If the fine was for not appearing for Jury duty how come they cancelled the driving licence. That doesn't jell.
What was the fine for?
We usually give a neighbour written authority to collect mail and any parcels when we are away. Either that or we stop the mail at the
post office. We also give them a key to the letter box to clear the junk mail and make it less obvious that we are away. They also feed the cats and water the indoor plants and check phone messages for anything urgent.
Phil
AnswerID:
477189
Follow Up By: Notso - Tuesday, Feb 07, 2012 at 13:36
Tuesday, Feb 07, 2012 at 13:36
Yeah, they can suspend your licence for not paying pretty well any sort of fine these days. It is certainly one way of getting your attention.
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Follow Up By: vk1dx - Tuesday, Feb 07, 2012 at 13:40
Tuesday, Feb 07, 2012 at 13:40
Ouch!!!
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Reply By: Kris and Kev - Tuesday, Feb 07, 2012 at 14:00
Tuesday, Feb 07, 2012 at 14:00
Something sounds very fishy. One notice?
If your residential address was changed correctly I do believe you would have had resource through the courts. Magistrate Court, not one with a jury. Did you also change your driver’s licence address?
My wife received the first notice while we were away and we did not know until after the date. Heard nothing more.
Mind you I do think jury service is a very important matter and one of our rights, to be available for jury service. But there are a lot of valid reasons where you can be excused. The last thing the court will want is a hostile juror!
AnswerID:
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Reply By: new boy - Tuesday, Feb 07, 2012 at 14:13
Tuesday, Feb 07, 2012 at 14:13
Further
I have "some"satifaction spoke to a girl in the jury service was sympathic and is sending an affidavid which as long as I can prove the change of address (which I can)I,ll get my money back .
W.A. tightened the Jury attendance requirements late last year near impossible to get out of doing it. Fines also have been take out of the judges hands and have increased and automatic.
Hopefully all will be OK and I,ll get my $278.50 back
AnswerID:
477197
Follow Up By: The Bantam - Tuesday, Feb 07, 2012 at 18:21
Tuesday, Feb 07, 2012 at 18:21
Hmmm guilty untill proven innocent.
There are lots of things the states are trying to legeslate that they simply have do not have the constitutional right to do...yet the legesation stands.
And they get away with it day after day, because people fail to chalenge it.
It is my understanding, the cancelation or
suspension of drivers licences for unrelated matters is one of those things, as is the threat of increasing fines if you chalenge them and fail.
As for the fine in question, the onus should be on the government to prove that they made every effort to contact you at the CORRECT address.
Which they obvioulsy did not, to which the electral roll will attest.
cheers
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