It's been several months since the verdict was read out but only the last few days have I dreamt and contemplated events other than the one centred in Court 4 at Lewes Crown Court.

Jury Service is a powerful thing. Although Jurors are merely tools to the jury system with the lack of knowledge in law the burden that may not seem blatant at first but seemed to creep up on me over the course of the trial(s). On the day of deliberations sitting in court for the first session seemed like waking from one of those beautiful dreams of lottery winning only to wake up and feel the cold, hard contrast of ecstasy.

Jurors have been in the media spotlight recently, with the news of jurors in Australia sitting in on a drug conspiracy trial costing 500,000 and lasting 66 days, had to be aborted because the jurors were spotted to be playing Sudoku. The jury fore-woman explained that boredom had set in during the prosecutions presenting of evidence. Yes, sage advice to any potential juror is to bring any material/device/highly caffeinated beverage to keep the mind cogs stirring.

To become a juror is an exclusive invite only deal and you'll know when you're name is called because the invite reminds me of the posters of Lord Kitchener - YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU! Quite why Courts use summons (JURY SERVICE!) in size 30 bold font I don't know. DO PEOPLE TAKE LITERATURE MORE SERIOUSLY IF IT SCREAMS AT YOU!?!?!? The nice pink background soothes the angry words.

Although it is always nice to receive letters that aren't bills or demands, unfortunately, jury service can have nasty implications if you own your own business and have no reasonable cause to miss it. Businesses have been known to crumble, lose clients, but it's all in the name of the Criminal Justice System which for hundreds of years has served Britain well. Although it is since the 19th century that justice prevailed and a jury's job was switched from judging defendants guilty or be hanged to digesting a trial and thinking for themselves without hearing the creaking of a noose.

The first day at Lewes Crown Court I was both apprehensive and excited. My role had changed, given a promotion, from the daily grind of guitar string making to one the 12 noble heads in the chambers of the court. My flippancy would later turn to discomfort.

The limit on jury service is two working weeks or 10 days, usually from 10 to 4, if you a serve on a jury. The first place you visit after entering the strict security building (I had to explain a pregnancy kit hidden away in one of my bag pockets I never knew it had, like one of those joke drawers you get under the sink; I didn't think it opened) is the jury congregation room, where you will wait... lots.

There are 4 courts in Lewes and each require a jury of 12 but 15 are called into court and the usher will randomly select 12 names and those 12 are sworn in provided the defendant doesn't take issue with your being there (Personally, I would have taken issue with being denied the chance to serve on a jury by someone who deserves to be there when my crime was to enrol on the electoral register). Jury members then take an oath or affirmation, and sit, uncomfortably, on pews. It was now reality kicked in, already sweating from speaking in public and feeling like I was the one on trial with the piece of paper the court usher hands to all jury outlining the case.

Rape wasn't what I'd thought I'd be there for but to get it in two separate cases is quite disturbing. Although I'm a little more educated as to why rape has such an appalling conviction rate. What our jury had to decide was whether, according to the Law:

1) Penetration had taken place.
2) The plaintiff was unable to give consent
3) The Defendant didn't reasonably doubt the plaintiff was giving / able to consent.

These were three points of law that would determine whether or not we found Mr A* guilty. Although all jury had to agree beyond reasonable doubt that he was guilty if we found him so. I cannot understate how tedious and painful some of the evidence is to listen to, 12 people taken from ordinary lives (apart from L who owned 'approximately 20 acres of land and had some time on his hands') placed into an often confusing, complicated legal system that even the jury weren't privy to all the information available with which to make a considerably life-changing decision. For the defendant it's tough but the jury must live with themselves yet do so knowing they had no other option.

With each day I spent with a jury I found myself taking my civic duty seriously, this was echoed by other members and I'm sure in every court across the land and sea in to which ordinary citizens are shoehorned. Although if the defendant had known one of our number still sucked his thumb and would have no clue as to what was going on in the trial the day before we had to deliberate our verdict, he would have been the only ejection I saw over the four weeks.

Those four weeks were an exciting edge to the wearisome ordinariness of early 2008 and getting paid to air your views, read, eat, wait, etc is novel. Remember this when the pink letter arrives on your door mat.

Written by Josh MacNab

* Names have been changed for legal reasons.