Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-05-17
NO. ga.
AN ACT

Relative to iuries in and for the State of
Louisiana: TO determine the qualification
of jurors; TO prescribe the manner and fix
the time of drawing juries, except i'll the
parish of Orleans; to designate the per-
sons 10 draw the same to exempt ceyta!n
persons from serving on juries; to give
the district judges &c tain discretionary
powers; to provide for and prescribe the
manner of summOniug talesmcn jurors
TO require clerks of the district courts TO
give certificates TO jurors in certain cases,
and to perform certain other duties, ard
To provide for summoning jurors ana TO
compel their attendance.
Section !. Be it enacted by the Senate
and House OF Representatives of the State
of Louisauana in General Assembly con7en-
ed That the qualifications of a juror 10
serve in any of the district conrts in this
| State shall be the following, and no other
snail be required; To be a bona fide male
resident of the parish in and for which the
court Is being held and the jury drawn.
twepty-One years of age, not under inter-
diction br decree of competent court, or
CHARGED with any crime punishable at hard
labor in the Penitentiary or death pending
at the time the competency is To be deter
mined provided, however, that there shall
be no distinction made on account of race,
color or previous condition, and provided
further, that nothing in this section shall
be so construed as to deprive the judges OF
this State of the discretion 20 decide upon
the competency ofjurors in particular cases
whe-a, froia any physical iniirmity or from
relationship within the fourth degree, to be
computed according to the civil Law, OF
from ignorance OF the English language
and inability To understand the same wben
raaA .afl nAr ha narpn
may be incompetent to sit upon the trial of
any particular canse.
Sec. .. Be it further enacted, etc, That
the following persons shaH be exempt from
serving as Jurors, but the exemption shall
be personal TO them, end when they dc not
themselves claim their exemption it shah
not be sufficient cause for challenging any
person or persons exempted, to-wit:
First-The members of the General AS
sembly, their clerks and Officers during the
sessions of the legislature, and in goii., 70
and returning from cue same
Seeond--rie 5iovefIcr, Lieutenant Gov
eYnor. State Auditor, State Treasurer, Su-
perintendent of Public Education, the Sec
rotary of State, their clerks and employees,
and all public officers commissioned under
authority of the United States.
Third-TlIe Judges and officers ofthe sew
eral courts of this state, attorneys and
counselors at law, ministers of the Gospeii,
physicians actually engaged in the practice
of their profession, professors and school
teachers while employed in teaching apoth-
ecaries, volunteer fircmen who have been
seven years or more IN active service, and
notaries public.
Fourth-All persons who are over sixty
wears Of ace. tH~,- ,oh" from sickness or
other physical iniirmity may be incapacita-
ted from, rendering such service, and all
those who may have served as regular jul
rOrs, al any term of the court during the
three years next preceding the time they
may be called or summoned again as jurors
or talesmen.
Sec. s. BE it further enacted, ETC., That
the number of jurors to be drawn-as is
hereinafter provided for the regular terms
of the district courts Of this State, the par
ish of Orleans, and parishes where the books
of registration are accessible to the officers
Of the courts required to draw .iuries ex-
cepted-shall not exceed one hdndred nor
be less than ffty-two, and the several dis
trict judges of this State are hereby vested
with the discretionary power TO order the
drawing of such number of jurors, i'll &C.
coIdauce with this provision, as they NAV
deem best, not IT, exceed one hundred nor
be less than tifty-two, fer the term of their
courts; provided, however, that il shall be
their duty to give such orders in writing
to the proper officer, hereinafter provided
for; not less than ten days before the time
fixed hereafter for the drawing of the jul
ries, and in ease the said Judge should fail
or neglect to give such order, then the said
officer shall proceed to draw the small num-
Der, as above prescribed, for the next en-
suing term of their district court.
Sec. 4. Be it further enacted, etc, That
as soon after the passage of this act as pos
sible, the several clerks of the districl
courts of this State, the parish Of Orleans,
and parishes where the books of registra-
ton are accessible to the officer of court re-
CURED to draw juries excepted, shall pro-
vide a suitable book for that purpose at
the expense of the several parishes of this
State, and together with the sherilts of the
several parishes of the State and the sever
al parish recorders, or any two of them,
shall proceed to enter therein from the best
information in their possession, and IN al
phabetical order, the names of the qualified
jurors of the several parishes, as defined in
section one Ofthis act, emitting the names
of such persons as may be exempt, as Is
above provided, to the best of their knowl
edgd and to enable them to make such
lisI.jt shall be competent for them to refer
II List of the registered voters, tax rolls,
ceNsds returns, or other sources of Informa-
ton, for which services they shall be paid
such sum as may be fixed by the several
police juries of the parishes, not to exceed
one hundred dollars each. The book con
tanning such lists shall be deposited i'll the
several clerks offices, and shall be open to
and subject to revision by any
two of the aforesaid officers together.
Sec. .. BE it further enacted, etc, That
not less than thirty, nor more than sixty
days before each jury term cfthe several
district courts of this State, excepting for
the parish of Orleans, and for the parishes
where the books of the registration are ac-
cessibie TO the officer of the court required
tn draw juries, the several clerks of the Ills
trict courts, the sheriffs of the several par
ishes, the parish recorders, and two citizens
of the several parishes, to be appointed by
the district judges and in case they should
neglect or fail to appoint them, to be select,
ed by majority of the above mentioned
ofncers, shall meet at the courthouse OF
their reErantiva he nd from the llSt