Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-02-20

existence local habitation and a
name. His existence may be merely
nominal on two dollars per day during a
term Of court but his local habitation in
the courtroom and his name, so often
heard from the lips of the Sheriff are
real. 1t is generally believed that this
important parsonage presents lean and
hungry appearance, is out of pocket out
os tbe elbows, and almost out Of the
world. 1t is even believed that the
chronic juror is the father of large
family wine-bibber and a beer'drinker'
All this is, however, mistake. The pro-
eessional Juror is the quietest of all men,
he is always non-committal, and his pos
sitiye opinion cannot be discovered, even
in the Jury box, on any given proposition
Of facts or law. He moves through
the courthouse halls and Offices in
a cat-hke manner, and always has
pleasant word for the judge, clerk and
deputy sherifs. His face never assumes
the happiness Of smile unless he is
selected as traverse juryman, or, when
that regular employment is lost, he
is called as a tdlesman to fill up the
panel of jurors. He is omnipresent
when court is in session, and holds the
eve of the sheriff as did the ancient
mariner the frightened wedding guest.
How anxiously he awaits for the joyful
words: Mr.. Smith, take a seat IN the
Jury box" We know of one professional
Juror who adroitly secured place on
the regular panel of two courts, which
were transacting business in adjoining
rooms. For several days he sat on jurles
in both courts, thereby earning four
dollars per day; but jealousy and envy
exist in the hoyel as well as in the palace,
and why not in courtroomI Another
professional juror, when Jones name was
called, instead of presenting some
little excuse, gravely informed the court
that "Mr. Jones was serving on jury
in the adjoining courtroom" An inves-
tigation followed, an attachment for con-
tempt issued, and poor industrious Jones
was fined twenty-five dollars and had his
name stricken from the lists of jurors in
both courts. The juror tries to look as
respectable as possible, in order not to
present too striking an objection to the
attorneys trying the cause. Few men
who have any other business seek the
position of jurors. but the race of volun-
teers is not small The professional
juror, after serving through term or
two of court, assumes to be judge of
law, and prides himself on his success
in unraveEng complicated bundles of
facts or falsehoods. He will never COM
nit himself, however, for fear he would
be rendering himself incompetent. You
see a different class of professionals
at the different courts. The Circuit
Court juror is quite different
man from the chap who haunts the
Criminal Court, and both are distinct
from the worthy who frequents the pre-
cints of the United States Court. They
are members of different branches of
the same profession, and follow branch
as a matter of taste. In the Criminal
Court, the juror musthave a bad memory,
he must never read newspaper accounts
of crime, or form or express an opinion
as to the guilt or innocence of criminals.
His mind must be tdbula rdsa-to re-
ceive impressions while in the jury box,
but never out Of it. There are mytho-
logical accounts how such jurors are
bought and sold, but these stories are
not well authenticated. Almost any
quiet, decent-looking man will do for
Law Court juryman; he must not be
positively Objectionable, that is all. The
United States juror is of higher race
of beings he must possess an air OF
ancient responsibility, and look grave
and solemn. The jurors fee, to him,
must be in theory a matter of no
importance, but he must be always
willing, if no other person can be found,
to serve few days, which can be length
ened to an indefinite period of timewith-
out consulting him any further. Occa-
sionally, in fit Of yirtuous indignation,
courts try to throw off these excrescen-
ces; but soon they fall back into the old
grooves, and the juror becomes yictori-
Gus. Whether the professional juror adj
yances or retards the machinery of law
and justice is an open question. He
may, without being positively objection
able, be to a certain extent necessary as
an aid to the advancement, not, proba-
bly,, of justice, but the machinery Of
courts. He can never be interviewed
by enterprising shorthand reporters, be-
cause on this very point his lips are ever
sealed, and outside Of his semi-legal life
he presents no interesting side to the
public.
81 ARrna e1a-rn