The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1881-01-20

o make It; vet we are forced to admit
hat the difficulties are such that while
ve use the utmost care and diligence
here is more confusion and uncertainty
han should prevail. Complicata this
difficulty with the evils already aliuded
and conrts and iuries will fall into
,ontempt and disgrace with honest and
light minded citizens. The public well
are demands that the proceedings OF
'ourts shall be conducted speedily, prop
rly and carefully. When a case is once
ried and verdict rendered it ought to
tand aud be final. Second trials viii
'ccur for errors committed in the first;
that should be the exception and not the
ale. Improper talk leads to the dis
greement of luries and to the setting
side of verdicts by the court where such
improper influence is shown. Needless
snxiety and costs are thus made to the
PARTIES, frequently where the amount in
dispute is small. Additional expense is
hereby made to the county aud the bur
ten OF taxation unnecessarily Increased.
There Is another subject about which
jurors are sometimes unnecessarily sen
,itiye; that is being SET aside by one par
V or the other in selecting the jury
which sometimes leads to i'll feeling aud
injury to innocent parties. The law Of
This state gives to each side in civil and
criminal causes the absolute right to
challenge premptorily certain number
If jurors without cause and without be
ng required TO give any reason therefor.
HIS reason for exercising this right of
challenge cannot be inquired into or
4 l.
@hould not be required to explain 1t af
terward You should not eudeavor t.
lscertain which party NAV have stricken
lut your name. No officer of the court
mas the right TO inform you and the oh
legation and duties of attorneys to them
selves aud their clients will prevent them
from repeating the information neces
,arily obtained by them. 1t does not
affect the character or personal standing
If the juror excused. 1t does not indi
cate that there is any i'll will on the part
of the individual exercising the challenge
nor express want of confidence either In
your honesty or integrity. There may
De many good and valid reasons for his
so doing. Sometimes, it is true his ob
lection Is based upon wrong information,
from hearing statements having no foun
iation in fact, from statements You are
reported to have made about the case or
conversations had with the other party or
his witnesses, which illustrates the wis
dom of not talking about cases as well as
the unsatisfactory and dangerous nature
of outside conversations and how unsafe.
1t is to rely upon or permit such CONVEX
sations to be considered in making up
verdicts.
1t follows of course that as no Juror of
the twelve sworn to try a cause has the
right to talk with or express an opinion
upon the case during the trial, so no 9th
er Juror not on that panel is allowed to
converse with one of their number in re
ference thereto any more than stran-
ger.
When you have heard all the evidence
and the trial is concluded and YOU euter
the jury room, you are free to speak, ex.
press your views and opinion on the
merits OF the case, consult with your fel
lows and after careful consideration aud
deilberatIon agree upon your verdict.
Personally you are nearly all strangers
to me and | nave not made these obser-
vations with reference to you particularly |
nor with the thought that any of you will |
do wrong but as rule of conduct which |
| am of the opinion ought to govern all |
jurors in the discharge of as important
aud vital duties as are committed to the |
hands OF any body of men in this coun-
try.
have every reason to believe that you |
will perform this duty satisfactorily to
the court and with credit aud honor to |
yourselves