Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-06-11
Juries I'm the District OF Columbia.
HOW THBY ARR Sci Rrrpn

INC DIStt1Ct Oh Coin bin.
HOW THBY ARE SELECTED.
On rage 1oI, consolidated stat utes relating 70
the District OF Columbia. is to be found the law
relating to the selection OF jurors for the
courts OF this District Formerly the selec-
ton OF jurors was altogether In the hands OF
the marshal OF the District In 1862 Congress
passed an act on this subject appointing the
register OF the city OF Washington, the recorder
Of georgetown. and the clerk of the levy court
OF the county 10 select the names for the jury
box. and place ballots containing the names In
said COX on or before the lst of February each
year It was directed that tue ballots so
these officers should have pCsited the names
In me COX they should seal II, and after the box
the court. These officers were directed TO select
400 names from the citizens OF Washington SO
nom Georgetown and 20 from the county.
THE PRESENT SYSTEM.
Tie adjustment OF the Offices above named.
consequent upon the consolidation OF the three
governments we had In the District, IL became
necessary to change the law. ana by act OF
April, ISL, the power to appoint commissioners
for this purpose was vested In the Court In
General Term. and the court shortly after ap.
pointed board OF jury commissioners, and
these served several years 10 succession. Some
Few years ago Col W. A. Cook challenged the
array OF tie grand jury because the names
were not canvaSsed by the entire commission
L
because each one OF the commissioners had
acted independently OF the others Ia arranging
MS list, and the point was decided well taken
ow eo snis 81 ume as lar as khown every re-
and from actual observation It can be said th at
there never has been fairer Drawings ade
than those made by the clerk
The present recently appointed commissioners
are George w. Riggs the banker, John A Ba.
ker dealer In agricultural implements), W. Il.
nsuraDce agent, and John Thomas sg SoS Gross
CORNER district ueasurer) The commissioners
gave much careful attention to the work OF
Riggs especially devoted much OF his yalua able
time to this arduous but necessary duty. As q
result 1t is believed that both the petit and
grand juIies drawn from this list Will be much
ABOVE the average In character and intelligence.
FURTHER ABOUT JURIKs
The law further provides that at least ten
days before the commencement OF each term
held as Circuit Court or as q Criminal Court
respectively. the clerk shall publicly break the
seal OF the jury box, and proceed to draw
therefrom The names OF so many persons as are
required. II the jury is intended for service In
the Special Term, Sitting as a Criminal Court
then the % persons whose names shall
be first drawn shall constitute the grand Jury.
and the twenty-si persons whose name shall
&c next drawn shall constitute the petit lufy
for that term. The names OF the persons drawn
shall not De placed In the jury box again for
tiro years. Those drawn for the June term OF
the criminal touIt VIII De summoned 10 attend
on Monday. the Goth inst. Upon the assem-
bling Of court other provisions of law will be-
come operative, as follows: "S52 II the persons
selected as jurors do not attend the
court may order the marshal to Summons
Others Who possess the legal qualification
to supply The deficiency" s63. liz at
any time there should not be, by reason If
challenge or Otherwise, sufficient number OF
Jurors TO make up the panel, the court shall
order the marshal to summon as many tales
men as may be necessary for that purpose.r
1914. A person may be excused by the court
from serving on the jury when for any reason
his interests or those OF the public will be ma.
terially injured by his attendance, or
where bis own health, or the death or sickness
OF member OF hts family requires his ab.
sence." The complaint In regard to "profes-
sfoDal Jurors has been not as to the dra,rn
Jurors, none OF whom could serve more than
one term In every two years. but In regard to
the Jurors summoned by the marshal to MI
vacancies. for frequently as many as one-thlrd
OF those drawn as jurors are excused and their
places filed by jurors selected either by the
court or marshal, and summoned to Ill vacan-
cies. The clerk OF the court has no power to
exercise discretion In the matter. lie is his bust
ness to draw ballots from box aud record a
list OF the names or them, and he has always
done SO in the presence OF as many reporters Of
the press as chose TO be present, aud 10 take
down the names as they were drawn from the
box and called out The difficulty as TO men
who make business OF jury serving comes On
later, after the court is open and part OF the
drawn jurors excused.