American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1867-06-05
NUMBER 25...
THE NEW JURY LAW

lhe following is copy of the Now Jurv
Law, passed by both branches of the Ier;s. Y
lature of Pennsylvania HE. d o1e' ~
sEe. /. BE ii enacted, de-. Tbat ~ ~.
general election to DO hold on the seeond
tuesday of October, Anno Domini ono ,bot,
sand eight hundred aud sixtvseyen ond
triennially thereafter, at such election The
qualified electors of the several countias of
inns Commonwealth shall elect, in the man..
ner provided by law for the election af otbe-
county officers, two sober, intelipeut md
Judicious persons to serve as jury eommis.,
sloners, In each of said counties, for the ma.
riod OF three years ensuing .heir election
put the same persons shall not be elirible
ior fe-election more than once in any period
OF SIX years; PrOVided, That ca 3h Of said
qualified electors shall vote for one person
only as jury commissioner, and the two per-
sons having the greatest number Of votes for
commissioners shall be duly elected jury
commissioners for such county
SEC. 2 1t shall be the duty Of said iurv,
commissioners to meet at the seat of instice
OF the respective counties, at least thirty,
days before the first term of the conrt rs
common pleas, in every year, and thereupop
proceed, with due diligence, to select from
the whole male taxable citizens of the county
at large, number, such as a tern, Of tba
court OF pleas next preceding, shall bv tho
court be designated, of sober. intellipent and
Judicious persons, to serve as jurors in tho
several courts Of such county during Tho
year and if the said commissioners cannot
! agree upon the names of persons to be ses
selected by them as jurors, they shall nro-.
ceed as follows: Each of the commissions
ers shall make a list containing the nanes
ot one half of the requisite number of per-
sons, and ten per centum in addition thereto
ard the proper number shall be obtained nv
each OF said commissioners striking from the
list furnished by the other, a numter equal
to the said addition; and the names not
stricken out shall be the selection of names
Of jurors, and the said jury commissioners
shall. in the mode and manner now directed
by law, place the names of persons so se-
lected, in the proper jury wheel, and tho
said wheel locked, as now required by law.
shall iemain in the custody of the said iurv
commissioners and the keys thereof in the
custody of said county,
SEC. 3. The said jury commissioners and
the sheriff OF the respective county, or any
TWO oil them, shall draw from the iury wheel
panels of Jurors, and grand jurors, of the
proper county, and as petit and traverse
Jurors, for trial of issues in fact which NAV
be taken in any action in any of the courts,
civil and criminal, in the Several counties
aforesaid, in the manner new practised and
allowed but before the said jury commis>
sloners and sheriff shall proceed to select or
draw jurors in the manner aforesaid they
shall severally take the oathHor affirmation
now prescribed by law to be taken by the
sheriff and county commissioners before se-
lecting and drawing jurors.
SEC. 4. hat so much Of any act or acts
of Assembly Of this Commonwealth, as make
it the duty of the sheriff and county com
mlssioners of any of said counties TO select
and draw jurors shall be repealed, and all
acts and parts of acts of Assembly now in
iorce, imposing any penalty or punishmens
on the sheriff and county commissioners, or
either of them, for anything done or omitted
by them in relation to the keeping, locking,
opening, sealing or breaking the seal Of any
ballot box shall, and the same is hereby ex,
tended and made to apply to the officers cre-
ated by this act.
Sec. 5. 1t shall be the duty Of each of said
jury commissioners to take upon himself
and discharge the duties of said Office under
a penalty of one hundred dollars for each
ond every neglect or refusal to attend the
same, to be sued for and recovered before
any justice of the peace of the propeTcounty,
as debts of like amount are now by law re-
coyerable, ten dollars of which shall 20 to
the persons suing and the residue to be paid
Oy the said justice to the treasurer of the re,
spective county for the use Of the same.
SEC. 6. In case of the inability of either
or both of the said jury commissioners by
sickness or death or other unavoidable causes
to discharge the duties of said Office, or in
case of neglect or refusal to serve thereon,
it shall be the duty of the president judge in
: such county wherein such vacancy may have
occurred, to appoint a suitable person or
persons, as the case may be, posses ing the
qualifications aforesaid, to perform the du-
ties Of said Office during such vacancy. and
such person or persons, after having COM
piled with the requirements Of the third
> section of this act, shall proceed to the du.
% ties of said Office the same as if eleoted by
the people, until the next general election,
when the people shall elect commissioner
" 10 lieu thereof.
A man in Maine was recently asked to