North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1867-04-10
The New Jury Law.

the law lately passed in reference to draw
ing jurors within State. 1t seems to be
fair and impartial in its provisions.
SECTION l. Be 1T enacted by the Senate
and House of Representatives. Of tie Com
nenweaLh of Pennsylvania IN General as
sena5ly met, and IS hereby enacted by the
authority of tie same, That on the general
election TO be held on the second Tuesday
| of October, Ammo Domini one thousand
eight hundred and sixty-seven, and tri-en-
nially thereafter, at such election, the quail
ifed electors of the several 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 cleo
ton but the same person or persons shall
not be eligible for reelection more than
once in any period Of six years: Provid-
ed, That each of said qualified electors
shall vote for one person onl as jury COM
missioner, and the twopersons having the
greatest number of votes for jury commits
sioner shall be duly elected jury commits
siobers for each county.
SEC. 2. 1t shall be the duty of said ju
ry 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
thereupon proceed, with due diligence, to
select from the whole male taxable citizens
| of the respective county at large, a number,
such as the term of the court of pleas next
preceding shall, by the said court, be des-
ignatcd, of sober, intelligent and judicious
persons, to serve as jurors in the several
courts Of such county, during that year -
and if the said commissioners cannot agree
upon the names of the persons to be selec-
ted by them as urors, they shall proceed
As follows: Each of the commissioners
shall make list containing the names of
one-half of the requisite number of persons,
and ten per centum in addition thereto, and
the proper number shall be obtained by
each of said commissioners striking from
the list furnished by the other, a number
equal to the said addition: and the names
not stricken out shall be the selection Of
the names of jurors, aud the said jury com
missIoners shall, in the mode and manner
now directed by law, place the names OF
persons so selected, in the proper jury
wheei 10 ,ked, as now required by law, shall
remain in the custody Of the said jury COM
mlssioners and the keys thereof in the Gus
tody of said county.
Sec. 3. The said jury commissioners
and the sheriff of the respective county, or
any two Of them, shall draw from the pro-
per jury wheel panels of Jurors, and grand
jurors of the proper county, and as petit
and traverse jurors, for the trial of issues
in fact winch NAV be taken in any action
in any O. the courts, civil and criminal, in
the several conrties aforesaid, in the man.
ner now practiced and allowed; but before
the said jury commissioners and sheriff
shall proceed to select or draw jurors in
the manner aforesaid, they shall scverally
take the oath or affirmation now prescribed
by law to be taken by the sheriff and coun-
ty commissioners before selecting and
drawing Jurors.
r.
acts of Assembly of this Commonwealth,
as makes i: the duty Of the sheriff and
county commissioners of any of said coun-
ties to select and draw jurors, shall be re-
pealed aud cease to have any force or eff
feet from and after the frs. day Of Decem
Der next. Ammo Domini ore thousand eight
hundred and sixty seven: Prov;ded, That
all acts, and parts Of acts of Assembly, now
in force, in relation to the custody, sealing
and unsealing, locking and opening of the
jurv wheel Of the respective county, and
all acts, and parts of acts of Assembly, now
in force, imposing any penalty or punish
II ent on the sheriff and county commis-
sioners, or either Of them, for anything
done or omitted by them in relation to the
keeping, locking, opening. scaling or break
ING the seal Of any jury wheel, or in rela-
tion to the selection or drawing of Jurors,
shall be takeu, deemed and held to apply
to the said jury commissioners and sheriff.
SEC. s. Each of said jury commissioners
shall be allowed and paid out of the re-
spective country treasury two dollars and
fifty cents per day, and four cents per mile,
circular, from the residence OF the commlS-
sionels in the court house.
SEC. 6. 1t shall be the duty of each OF
said jury commissioners to take upon him
self and discharge the duties of his said
office, under penalty of one hundred dol
lars for each and every neglect or refusal
to attend the same, to be used fol. and re-
covered before any justice of the peace of
the proper county, as debts oflike 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 Oft the respective county for
the use of the same.
SEC. 7. In case of the inability of eth
er 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