Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-04-07
JOHN L. SATTERFIELD.
An Act Concerning the Election of
Jurors.


AN ACT for the better and more impartial
selection of persons to serve as jurors in
the several courts of Somerset, Bedford.
Fulton, Perry, Juniata and Westmore-
land counties.
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate
and House of Representatives of the Com
monwealth of Pennsylvania, in General As
selnbly met, and it is hereby enacted by the
authority of the same. That at the general
election to be held on the second Tuesday of
October, Ammo Domini one thousand eight
hundred and sixty five, and tri-annual there
after at such election the qualified electors
of Somerset, Bedford, Fulton, Perry, Juni-
alta and Westmoreland counties, of this
Commonwealth shall elect in the manner
now provided by law, for the election of
other county officers; two sober, intelligent
and judicious persons to serve as jury COM
missioners In each, Of said counties for the
period of three years ensuing their e9eetion,
but the same person, or persons shall not be
eligible for reelection more than once In any
period of three years. P'ouide1, That each
of said qualified electors shall vote for one
person only as jury commissioner, and the
two persons having the greatest number OF
votes for jury commissioner shall be duly
elected jury commissioners for euvlI rUuuty.
SECTION 2. Ii shall be the duty of SAID
jury commissioners to meet at the seat OF
| justice of the respective counties at least
thirty days before the first term of the court
OF common pleas in every year, and there
upon proceed with due diligence to select
alternately from the whole male taxable cit
izens of the respective county at largea suf-
fcient number of sober, intelligent and ju-
dicious persons, to serve as jurors In the
several courts of such county, during that
year, and as soon as the said election shall be
completed, thesaid jury commissionersshal,
in the mode and manner directed by law,
place the names of the persons, so selected,
| in the proper jury wheel.
SECTION 3. The said jury commissioners
| and tie sheriff of the respective county or
any two of the three shall draw from the
proper jury wheel panels of jurors for the
| trial of issues in fact which may be taken in
any action In any of the courts of the sew
| eral counties aforesaid, in the manner now
practiced and allowed, but before the said
jury commissioners and sheriff shall proceed
to select or draw jurors in the manner afore-
said, they shall severally take the oath or
affirmation now prescribed by law, to be ia
ken by the sheriff and county commissioners
/ DtlOIt ssSlSCbiIl8 dilI uFdWlDR
SECTION s. That so much Of any act or
acts of Assembly Of this Commonwealth as
makes it the duty of the sheriff and county
| commissioners Of any of said counties to Sc
lect and draw jurors, shall be repealed and
cease to have any force or effect from and
after the second Tuesday of October next,
Ammo Domini one thousand eight hundred
and sixty-five Provided, That all acts and
l 81 AZ &c 1.o,~. L.
relation to the custody, sealing, unsealing,
locking and opening of the jury wheel OF
| the respective county, and all acts and parts
of acts of Assembly, now in force, imposing
any penalty or punishment on the sheriff
and county commissioners on either of them
for anything done or omitted by them, OF
either of them, in relation to the keeping,
locking, opening sealing or breaking the
seal of any jury wheel, or in relation to the
selecting or drawing of Jurors shall be taken,
deemed and held to apply to the said Jury
commissioners and sheriff
| SECTION g. Each of said Jury commits
sioners shall be allowed and paid out of the
respective county treasury the same compen-
satlOn per day as is paid by the respective
counties named in the bill to the county
commissioners.
| SECTION g. 1t shall be the duty of each Of
said jury commissioners to take upon him
self and discharge the duties of his said Of
fee under penalty of one hundred dollars
for each, and every neglect or refusal to at
tend the same to be used for, and recovered
before any justice of the peace of the proper
county as debts Of like amount are now by
law recoverable ten dollars of which shall
go to the person suing, and the residue to
be paid by the said justice to the treasurer
of the respective county for the use of the
same
SECTION 7. In case of inability of either
or both Of the said jury commissioners by
sickness, death or other unavoidable causes
to discharge the duties of said office, it shall
be the duty of the President Judge in such
counties wherein said vacancy may have oc-
CURED, to appoint a suitable person or per-
sons as the case may be, possessing the
qualifications aforesaid to perform the duties
of said Office during such vacancy, and such
persons after having complied with the re-
quirements of the Sd section of this act,
shall proceed to discharge the duties of said
Office the same as if elected by the people.
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