Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-06-28
Approved, June 5, 1862.
GPUBLIC-No. 81


AN ACT providing for the selection of jurors
to serve in the several courts in the Dis
trict of Columbia.
Be it enacted by the senate and house Of
representatives of the United States of Amer
lea in congress assembled, that it shall be the
duty of the register of Washington city, and
of the respective clerks of the city of George
town and the levy court of Washington coun-
ty, in the District of Columbia, within one
month after the passage of this act, and on or
before the first day of February in each year
thereafter, to make list of such of the white
male citizens, taxpayers, residing within
their respective jurisdictions, as they shall
Judge best qualified to serve as jurors In the
courts of said district, in which lists may be
included, in the discretion Of the officer max
ing the same, the names OF such quallhedper-
sons as were on the list OF the previous year
but did not serve as jurors, and the lists thus
made by the register and clerks aforesaid shall
be kept by them, respectively, and be deliver
ed over to their successors in office.
Sect. 2. And be it further enacted, that the
officers aforesaid shall select from the list of
the register of Washington city the names of
four hundred persons, from that of the clerk
of Georgetown eighty persons, which proper
from after the year eighteen hundred and six
tr-tbree. NAV be varied from year to year ac-
cordirg TO the increase or decrease ofpopula-
ron in the respective jurisdictions, by order
Of tbe iudpes of the circuit court OF Wash
ington county.
Scot 3. And be it further enacted, that the
,ooyors of the cities of Washington and
Georgetown, all judicial officers, salarled off
GERS of the government OF the United States,
commissioners or police, and those connected
with the police or fire department, counsellors
and attorneys at law, ministers OF the gospel
"nd rriosts of every denomination, practising
nbvsicians and surgeons, keepers OF hospitals
and asvlums. almshouses, or other charitable
institutions created by or under the laws re-
latino to the District of Columbia, captains
and masters and other persons employed on
vessels navigating the waters OF sald District.
and keepers ofpublic ferries, shall be exempt
from iury duty, and their names snail not be
nlaced in the lists aforesaid
sect. A. And be it further enacted, that the
names selected from SAID lists snall DC written
on senarate and similar pieces OF paper winch
shall be so folded or rolled up that the names
cannot be seen, and placed IN DoS' 10 De
n,';dod h, the register and clerks aforesaid,
which how shall be sealed, and after being
tborouchlv shaken, shall be delivered to the
clerk of the circuit court OF washington couh-
ty for safe keeping
Sect. &. And be it further enacted, that the
said register and clerks, and the clerk OF the
circuit court, shall, at least ten days before
thn commencement of each term Of the circuit
or of the criminal court, meet at the city hall
in Washington city, and then and there the
clerk of the cirduit court shall publicly break
the seal of said box and proceed to draw
therefrom the names Of so many persons as
are required andif the jury about to be drawn
is intended for service in the criminal court
the twenty three persons whose names shall
be first drawn shall constitute the grand jury
and the twenty-six persons whose names shal
next be drawn shall constitute the petit jury
for that term; but in a capital case where thu
said panel shall have been exhausted by rea
son Of challenge or otherwise. the court be-
fore whom such capital case is pending may
in its discretion, order additional names to be
drawn; and if all of the names in the boz
shall have been drawn out and no jury found
The court may order the marshal to summon
talesmen until jury shall be found. And
a iury be required for the circuit court TN
twenty-six persons whose names shall tirs
be drawn shall constitute the jury for tina
term, and the names Of the persons drawn
aforesaid shall not be again placed IN sue