The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1883-11-29
PETIT JURIES.

The Morning News contained ar
article few days ago on the duties
and responsibilities of grand jurors
There is reason to believe that it met
with general approval 1t may not
be amiss to say word about The
duties and responsibilities of petit
Jurors, which have slmos. as much
to do with the we'll being of society
as those of the grand jurors 1t is to
be regretted that SO many good citi
zens shirk these responsibilities and
duties One can daily hear cri,i~
cisms upon the way the law is ad,
ministered, and complaints about the
failure to punish criminals. The of
fcers of the law the Judges, the
solicitors, and tho lswy ers come 10
for all the abuse, and the juries are
said to be stupid or venal. After all
who are legally exempted, which are
by far too many, and the sick are
excused, the lawyer when be faces
the panel is struck almost speechless
by The crowd he has to enlighten
with the law aud the facts. He
thinks of Judge Dooly's oft quoted
saying that "only God Almighty can
tell how a petit jury will decide"
TO have the benefit of good laws
there must be good men to admins
ter them, and under our system that
duty is largely with the juries.-
Every citizen should feel it priv
lege to occasionally share 10 this i'm
portant part of free government.
The qualifications of petit jurors
are the same under the laws of Geor
gia as those grand jurors, and their
duties are Of no less Importance
They should be selected by lot from
the most intelligent, up right and ex
perienced citizens of the several
counties. They are sworn to "weII
aud truly Try the causes submitted
to them, and = true verdict to give
according to the evidence" The
grand jury has Ito peculiar province
that of putting the machinery of
the law in operation 80 as to con-
serve the ictesest of The community,
and cause the arrest and trial of VIC
Iators of the law. Their work, how
ever, will be- in vain unless the trials
should be had before intelligent aud
upright petit Jurors. The many i'm,
portant questions to be passed on and
nice determinations to be made cons
corning the credibiiity and effect of
conflicting evidence, require the ex
ercise OF great sense of justice and
Judgment. Few ordinary men are
equal to this task, and the great de
feet III our jury system is that often
the very best qualified men are
either exempted by the law or get
excused by the presiding Judge
No wonder then that men should hold
trial by jury in fear when important
interest are involved.
The serving as juror is not a
pleasant duty to perform, but it is
one that should not be shirked by
the true citizen. If every good man
would serve when drawn without
reference to exemptions or trivial ex
cuses, the turn of each Individual
would not come oftcner than once IN
two or three years. This surely
would not be very great hardship.
1t would be more than compensated
By the higher character and dignity
that would be conferred 90 trial by
Jury, and the confidence the people
would feel 10 having crime punished
and civil cases decided on principles
of Justice The labors of Judges
would be lightened and rendered
more satisfactory, and the courts
would soon attain the position they
properly should OCCUPY as the pro-
tector of the innocent, the terror OF
the guilty, the defender of the right
and the avenger Of the wrong.-oa'
vannah Morning News.