The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1877-07-27
JuRlES OF THE FUTURE.


.
JuRlES OF THE FUTURE.
One of tho most important measures
enacted during the extra session Of
the State Legislature of 1877, was tho
passage of Act A, relative to jurit.s.
In the main, 1t Is tho same as tho old
statute upon this subject, with tho OK
ception that 1t provides, an entirely new
method Of drawing II venirt,, which, IL
Is to be earnestly hoped, will hereafter
prevent tho iMpnnnclling Of incompe-
tent persons to assume the responsible
ties Of Jurors. -'''' "A''''
Section thru Of the act provides
that within thirty days after July, 1877,
the several Districts Judges throughout
the State, shall select and appoint from
among tho qualified electors Of their
several parishes, ssfo,,r discreet citizens,
good men and trnc," who, with tho
Clerk Of tho District Court, who shall
he AN cx-oillcio, u member thereof,
shall constitute u Jury. Commission
for such parish, and shall hold Office
during the pleasure of tho District
Judge. Within thirty days after their
appointment, the Commission, or Il ma
jority thereof, shall meet at the Clerks
0llice, and select the names of three
hundred competent citizens to serve as
jurors. Tho Clerk shall write the
names OF the selected parties on slips OF
paper which shall be placed ia Il box,
labelled "general venire box" and af-
ter locking aud sealing IL, shall be tho
Gust hereof. The Comm issiou has
the right to pass upon the publications
OF the parties whose names are So
leeted. ...
Not less than fifty days prior to the
| meeting OF every Jury term OF the Dis
| trict Court, tho Commission shall meet
| at the Office of the Clerk, and strike
from the list the names OF those PERSONS
who during the interim have become
| disqualified, for every name so stricken
Off selecting another from the list OF
the Clerk. At the satnc time the re-
quirei number to serve ut the up-
proachiug term Of the District Court
shall to drawn. The first fifty ntt,,cs
drawn shall compose the grand aud petit
juries for the first week of Court, and IL
| In the judgment of the Commits IL
jury shall be required for the sccottd
| week, thirty additional names shall
| be drawn. Tho Clerk shall give !,
list of the jurors drawn to tho Sheriff,
who shall forthwith proceed to sum
mon them. The Clerk shall also cause
II copy of said fist to be published in
the official newspaper of the parish.
Jurors arc required to attend punctu-
ally, and the District Judge shall have
tho right to enforce Attendance by Il
fino on tho delinquent jurors OF not
less than twenty dollars nor more than
one hundred dollars, and i'm Imprisonment
in the parish jail for not more than
seven days, or both, at his discretion.
The jurors who atten,t and serve shall
be exempt from road duty during the
year in which they shall serve as ju-
rors, and those who live more than
seven miles from the Courthouse, t,,H
uO others, shall receive from tho Parish
Treasurer one dollar per diem for each
days actual attentii.nce.
In civil cases, in which, IL jury may
be prayed and allowed, IL shall be the
duty OF tho party praying for the jury
to deposit withTthc Clerk of the Court
$l2 rs jury costs, and no jury shall be
| ordered unless the said cost is paid, ex-
cept in cases In which the Judge, OK
ofIicio, shall order II jury in II civil case
| tho plaintiff shall advance the jury
costs. II the plaintiff fails TO do SO, tho
case shall TO continued to next term,
when, should the costs still be forth
coming, the Judge shall dissmis, tho
case as in u non-suit.
| All objections to the manner Of
drawing jurors or to any defect or irreg
ularity that can be pleaded against any
array OF vcnire, must bc urged on the
first term, or all such objections shall be
considered AS waived.