Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1833-05-23
riE Jury system.

The following spprvpriate article from Lea
mgton, Ky. P~per. q The Spirit u wsshingtoa,' %
saves us tina troablc of pcnning car views upoa
that subject The bess method for the people 20
obtain redress, will be to prepare petitions, and
-ndeavor to gct the eo-operaiioa Of their fellow
citizens in Other portions Of the Stztr The evil
certainly r'lairrs n remedy. Complaint are al
ready loud, and ought % be louder and unreu,it-
ted
OUR JURY SYSTEM.
Ono Of our subscribers from the country
calling ut the Office the other day for his pa
per, remarked that there were hce for hun
he believed, n he had not been in the city
Tor some days on account Of the Circuit Court
being In session. 'why sou said we. Be
cause he replied, u didn't want to get stuck
on jury
Now, this single fact is n, good as volume.
of hair-spltting distinctions to prove the ne
cessity Of radical change in our jury sys-
TEN. Not IN the mode OF trial by Jury, nor
in regard TO any Of the long settled principles
OF law, and rules. of practice in relation 10 the
subject; but in the manner OF constituting our
juries.
No man should be compelled like our sub
scribcr, TO avoid the path Of his business and
his rightly any such perhaps or pcrady enturc,
as that which he pleaded. The duties Of iu-
rymen are Of too sacred and highly important
character to DO entered on under feelings of
evaporation or even Of impotence, such rs
must possess the mind OF good citizen, when
unexpectedly interrupted in his regular bust
ness, and detained from his family and home,
by the iitiyiotisness or crimes Of Others And
however much such juror may endeayour.
under such circumstances, TO screw I'D his
mind to the point Of cool impartiality, and his
patience To tho duty Of calm, conscientious
investigation, II Is not in poor human nature,
as II - most commonly developed, TO diyest
the mind of the bias or want Of attention
which such circumstances are calculated to
induce. There Is no time when the farmers
have more business in the city, than on those
days, when by reason Of the sittings OF the
county or circuit courts, they are most liza
bic to the interruptions resulting from this
cause. IL forced 10 come near the Court
House, they are in n continued state Of M
prehension, and dodge the Sheriff with almost
as much care and vigilance as il he had
warrant TO imprison them. This is n state
oil things which ought not 10 be which has
been deprecated and condemned BY every bo-
dy Tor many years; which has no strenuous
defenders that we know of; which is never
theless continued and persisted in We would
ask, why is il not chsngedi
The certainty OF the attendance Of Jurors
and their more judicious and equitable Sc
lection from the yeomanry Of the country, as
well as from the mechanics and other ciii-
zens OF county town, are Just rs suscepti-
BILE Of being reduced 10 n system, and regu-
lated by salutary law, for the common good,
as the working Of the roads, the assessment
oil taxes, the annual elections, or any other
municipal regulation.
The present laws on the subject Of Jurors
IN their operation vexatious TO the jurors of
the land, do not secure the most perfect adj
ministration Of justice Of which trial by Jury
rs susceptible, and, therefore, ought to be en-
tirely re-modelled.