Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1867-05-08
The Jury Bill.

An Act for the better and more impar.
tial selection of persons to serve as
jurors in each of the counties of this
Commonwealth.
SECTION |. Be IL enacted By the Senate
and House # Representatives Of the Com
n,omweahh Of Pennsylvania in General
assembly met, aud 1t as hereby enacted by
the authority Of the same, That at the
general election to be held on the sec.
ond Tuesday of October, Ammo Domini
one thousand eight hundred and sixty.
seven, and tri enniaIly thereafter, at
such election, the qualified electors of
the several counties Of this Common
wealth shall elect, in the manner now
provided by law for the election of
other county officers, two sober, intel
ligent and judicious persons to serve
as jury commissioners in each of said
counties, for the period of three years
ensuing their election, but the same
person or persons shall not be eligible
tor reelection more than once in any
period Of six years Provided, That
each Of said qualified electors shall vote
for one person only as jury commits
sioner, and the two persons having the
greatest number of votes for jury com
missioner shall be duly elected Jury
commissioners for such county.
Sec. 2 1t shall be the duty of said
jury commissioners, president Judge,
or additional law judge of the respec-
tive district, or majority of them, to
meet at the seat of justice of the re.
spectlve 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 quail.
flied electors Of the respective county
at large a number, such as at the term
of the court of pleas next preceding
shall, by the said court, be designated,
of sober, intelligent and judicious per-
sons to serve as jurors in the several
courts OF such county during that year;
and the said jury commissioners, pres
ldent judge or additional law Judge, or
a majority OF them, shall, in the mode
and manner now directed by law, place
the names of persons so selected in the
proper jury wheel, and the said jury
wheel locked, as now required by law,
shall remain in the custody of the said
jury commissioners, and the keys
thereof in the custody Of the sheriff of
said county.
SEC. 2. The said jury commissioners
and the sheriff of the respective coun-
ty, or any two of them, shall draw,
from the proper jury wheel, panels of
Jurors as grand jurors of the proper
county, and as petit and traverse ju-
rors for the trial of issues in fact which
may be taken in any action, in any of
the courts, civil and criminal, of the
several counties 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 severally take the oath or affir-
nation now prescribed by law to be
taken by the sheriff and county COM
missloners before selecting and draw
ing jurors.
SEC. 4. That so much of any act or
acts of Assembly ofthis Commonwealth
as makes it the duty of the sheriff and
county commissioners of any Of said
counties to select and draw jurors shall
be repealed, and cease to have any
force or effect, from and after the first
day of December next, Ammo Domini
one thousand eight hundred and sixty
seven: Provided, 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
jury wheel of the respective county,
and all acts and parts Of acts of Assem-
bly,, now in force, imposing any penal
ty or punishment on the sheriff and
county commissioners, or either Of
them, for anything done or omitted by
them, in relation to the keeping, lock
ing, 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 ap-
ply to the said jury commissioners and
sheriff.
Sec. 5. Each of said jury commits
sioners shall be allowed and paid, out
of the respective county treasury, two
dollars and fifty cents per day, and