, 1873-02-13
OUR JURY SYSTEM.
The Workings Of the New Law
in Cook County.
Extraordinary Inducements for Our Rural
Neiglbors to Get on the Panel.

Extraordinary Inducements for Our Rural
Nelghbors to Get on the Panel.
They Find Mileage a Very Good substi-
tute for Per Diem.
And the Cost Of Jury Service to tho
County Is Enormously Increased.
Tho professional jury1nan is a prominent
figure In judicial history. His docorous foaturos,
his sooly garments, his whitening locks, aro
familiar to all who hayo over lind occason to
WOO tho blind goddcas in our Courts. The jury
syntom could no more DO expected to be entirely
free from friction than any other branch
of governmental administration Thoro must
DO inconyonioncea Attending 1t, but they
should bo % fow as possible. The
Inv which at proaont regulates tho
ompanolling Of juries 10 much complained Of.
Its workings aro exceedingly complicated, delay
Ing tho business of the Courts, rendering tho
dispensing Of Justice expensive, anl making
corruption easy. Under tho old inv, Jurors wero
paid 9t5o por day, md s conts D milo one way,
for sing1o journey to and from thoir homea, II
they happened to 1ivo beyond tho city limits.
Before tho formation Of tho prosont Board Of
County Commissioners, which consists Of flfteon
persons, each ward and township Of the city,
and oac}l town In tho county, had ono Super
visor, making 1fty-tlvo in all. Each Of
those gcns1omcn was wont to send to
tho County Clerk 1int OF mon whom he knew,
from which aggregate jurics voro ompanol1od.
Tho method was not found to work well. Tho
persons namod in tho lists could seldom DO
found, and whom found thoy wero often undo
| Bfrablo. Juriea could rarely 'bo mndo up from
| tlom and tho whole business Of empanel1inB
camo to bo done by special uenires, which was
| made liable to many objections. Tho most sori-
ous result Of the system waa tho largo Drop Of
| professional Jurymon which 1t brought into OK
| istonce. Justice could not DO dono without
| them. For timo the Common Council had tho
power of making out tho list from Which jury
mon were TO be drawn, but no good came OF the
change.
| Tho present law went into force In July, and
WAS frat observed by the Courts at tile fall torn
Of last yoar. The County Commissioners fur
nish tho List from which tic jurymen arc to be
drawn. The act provides TINT previous to tho
shall aond tho names Of ono-tont6 Of tho voters
| in tho county to tho County Clerk, specifying
that tho list shall be made from the pon-books.
Inc Olork Of the Board ls supposed TO add
this work to Ills customary clerical labors.
The namoa are placed. by tho Clerk
OF tho county In receptacle prepared for tho
purpose, When jury Is ncodod By any Judge,
he senls his clerk to tho office OF tho County
Clorls, tho receptacle is ahnkon by somo official
to prevent any shadow OF fraud, and a full pan
ne1 Of 21 namcs ia drawn out, from among
whom tho members of tho jury arc selected.
This mode Of procedure seems lnobjectionablo
to the caBunl observor, but results prove that It
Commissioners mako out their decimal List from
tho poll-boolts. Thoso nrc the books prepared
BY the Clerks Of election at oach pre-
cinct, and show the names of those who haVo
actually voted therein: The name only is given,