The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1880-03-20
Jndge Fie!d,s Opinion,
Dissenting from the Ma"
joriIy ofthe Supreme
Court
IN the P0fiticdI Gases from VIZ
1inid and West Jirginia.

No. 1. Original )-0ctober Term, 1870
In tue M tier Of D. Coles, and the Com.
monwcalth OF Virginia, Petitioners for Tue
witt OF Ilsheas Corpus.
Dr.. Justice Fields, dissenting.
Idisscnt from the judgment ol
the court in this case, and from the
reasons by which it is supported
and ! will state the grounds ofmy
dissent.
In Virginia, all male citizens be-
tween the ages of2l and G0,who are
entitled TO vote and hold office UNI
der the Constitution and laws..of the
State, aro liable, with certain cxcep,
tions not material to be,here nell
toned, to serve us Jurors. The
Judge ofcach county or corporation
court is required to prepare annual
ly a list of such inhabitants Of the
county or corporation, not less than
100, nor exceeding 800 in number,
"as he shall think well qualified to
scrvc No i,,rors. bcin. uersons OF
sound Judgment and free from legal
eyccDtim,a The name of eacll
nerspn m the list thus prepared is
10 be- written on a separate ballot
and placed in n box to be kept by
the clerk Of the court. From this
box the names of persons to be
summoned MS grand and petit iur.
mrs of the county are 10 be drawn.
III ,,n. ~ ,,,,;, ,,ro,.;d;nc.for thc
,,,.,,,"rnt;or tmu ii" - of t t%o l;st Of ncrsons,
Rre"rI'to', ,Iua t%o y, t ;,'rors @ ara " ~ bo TAX
ito,,. m II, Tt.o,, W.. W. III a"oinst
cm,'.."Neo S,.'n,,s 81 ~ tSo noInroI rore The
,ulsol.s ,,,'o ar u thn 'o "o,ntv or cornnrotinn
i"st i,,,st IL o rasi sI .;ctsJ Il h;s action onlv
IU"ti ~. ttn ts no,'i;,;on That tho ncrsons
.o,ooto1 ~ St.U ' shaIi IN his oninEon, he
se.cTIe, :.s,.ci, n,,ni;t;aj 70 soryo as ;urors y
We. !.as ?H%e;, rn,,,,I ;,,'lg9"ont " ,yT "frno
Se, u I so.a''u sS,,.ian Js.o'S,iI'i, J, WI Whothc,
., .roni so.s Ns"i tHoo' .ioea c',,ai;Gcati"ns i
1iiey l'I;seSs !, 't.cs; , .;"J i.;",'. onJ "s 7
le'' ~ ne ustS.'.,S''o I'M T."s - low fnr
sLi"ia ".'vi'.. ',rGUI .t;I' IL ~ J;soi,oraos
.h; .i,: ''I' In.,. IL ~ :, ] raSMons;,,lo omIy IN
IN ti'ls ea e.t. mI H. 80 ot,;onr Lo ;s and
ne o'1se, %li?sI ha"ni t,,,,i' - az anroroo @
"HUse TIe as;,;oner INV i'o 20 D n co,os ia The
ine Pett,''iIc'' ~ C.,. y. ~ So"rt ' oS Il, tho
Juuse VI - by p;t.s,.I,'an;, 0J" i, V;r";n;a
ooI'tSs I r. - hai', ih"t oIl;cn for so,nG
n.'. nus r. ., :, 80. .',". ''.atan,iod IL that in
e"t1; 5;soiOrSo ~ .S ''C ~ t;s ;,J;c;,I ,Imt;cs
ti.e , 's,St,s" n,.o. ssoIno,aj u as ;nrors ner.
nv nus enU. ,.oo so'rS.' ~ ",'I;i;"d ,n ,cryc
:; :o'tI nv MJ "r,c "rac,.r ' or ~hn wcps NOT
~ ,,si .an's IiS ;',tI~nSnnt - or wbo werc moi
=. S.o s"., tsn", I" IoEo, ,s sx"ont;on n is moi
o,,a,, nee nW,r s,,arOSfod IN or~,,nart i'm, he
i've! i've, SoSsH''" HoF ~ ali ,;T,ess fa;thfuIIy
i,aJ l'"s '!Tt thc ~ ion ~" af tLa St,,e VET h.
"e'i" L.o,, t,'N ;,'i;o1nd IL tho district
-. I"' III ~ .i,niITn;tol ctnto, fnr tht
V..,o,'' H"'IS VI nj n;str;"t or V;rg;nia fo,
w. "U;,ut" '..;,',. ~, pT sa,,o rnios;rmo,pI day
h"'t'ts' ~ tES w ,.oar Ho Is7S oxcIm,lod om3
fn;lci 10 select as grand and petit
Jurors citizens of tho county sn nc
count Of race, color and previous
condition of servitudc. The indict
mcnt does not state who those citi
zens were or set forth any particu
lars of the offence, but charges it il
the general words Of Il definition
The District Court, nevertheless, Is
sued n bench-warrant, upon whlcl
the Judge was arrested, and, relus
ing 10 give bail, he is held in Gus
tody to answer the indictment. IL
therefore petitions for eer'iOFdr' II
that court to send up the recor! o
its proceedings Tor our reTahl'''I.Io.,
and for ""a1eas corpus, aIIeslh! lIiu IL,
ITS ACTION WAS WITHOUT 'UNispt'
49,. TioS, .,,,.o
and that ms Imprisonment ,' a,!s ai.eFe :,
llnUGf Is UNLAWFUL, anu llt IlIitN u