Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1885-03-25
Trouble About A Jury Draw
Ing.

county commissioners had control of the
jury wheel that the iuries were always pack
ed with democrats, and in counties where
Republican county commissioners controll-
ed the wheel the juries were pa ,kei with re-
publicans, and in that way, with one sid
ed jury, there was always danger of Pc
liticsl verdict being rendered instead OF 4
verdict of Justice in accordance with the
merits and evidence OF the case in dispute
between parties before Court.
REMEDY.
To provide REMEDY for such injustice
under the forms OF law, it was deemed best
to take the drawing of juries out of the
hands of County Commissioners, therefore,
law was passed by the Legislature in 1857 {,
that provides for the election, by popular
vote, of two Jury Commissioners, one COM
missioner from each of the two dominant
parties, whose duty shall be to make list
of citizens place them in the jury wheel at
a stated time, and at another stated time
draw the juries for the several courts from
the wheel.
From the passage of the act to this time,
at regularly stated lawful time Democrat
ic and Republican Jury Commissioner has
been el &C ted in Juniats county.
UNDER SEAL AND LOCK.
The jury commissioners at such time as
is prescribed by law til the jury wheel. The
wheel is sealed end is locked, and tine key
of the wheel Is kept by the sheriff OF the
county. At regularly stated tines the jury
commissioners are required to go to the seat
OF justice and there take charge of the wheel
The sheriff unlocks it, the seal is removed
and jury is drawn.
Last Wednesday, March IS, 1885, was the
day required by law for The jury commits
sioners to meet at the seat of justice in this
county, in the Court House, at Mifiiintown
and draw a jury Tor April term OF Court.
IN WHICH ROOM
The law does not state in which of the
rooms, OF ffices in the Court House the
drawing of the jury shall take place. If 4
hair splitting construction be placed on the
ter IN, sat the seat of JUSTICE" in all proba-
bility the jury would have to be drawn in
the Court room ir front of the Judges seat
William MillikeI and J Kelley Patterson,
both worthy citizens of Tuscarora valley are
the Jury Commissioners for Junista county
and on the date mentioned above they sp-
peared at the Court House to draw the ju-
ry for the April term of Court, 1885. The
jury wheel had been placed in the room of
the County Treasurer for safe keeping. Pre-
vious juries had been drawn in the Office of
the County Commissioners. On this occasion
however, the jury commissioners deter min
ed not to draw the jury in the room or Of
fee of the county commissioners.
THE JURY DRAWN.
The jury commissioners placed their
wheel in the Office or room of the Register
and Record er and appointed s. B. Caveny,
the Register and Recorder their clerk. They
! were sworn under the law by, Prothonota-
~ T. II. Memminger. Sheriff Shivery was
present with the key of the wheel TO unlock
the wheel, and the seal was removed, and
the Jury was drawn. The wheel was re-seal-
ed aud was re-locked by the Sheriff as pre-
scribed By law, aud the wheel was again
| plac.d in the Office of
THE COUNTY TREASURER.
S. p. Caveny, the clerk of the Jury Com
missioners certified the list Of jurors an
placed the sea Of his Office on it, ard sent
the list to the office of the County Conmis.
sioners. The County Gommls sioners un.
der an un-repealed clause OF the act of As
sembiy of 1884, are required to make on
| in alphabetical order, two lists of the name,
of the persons drawn as jurors, by the Jur :
Commissioners, to serve as grand, petit or
special Jurors, and one of the sad lists they
shall deliver to the Sheriff of the county
and the other to the Prothonotory, or CLERK
of the proper court, to be set up BY then
In the respective offices for the inspection
of all persons concerned. The County Com
missiouers never themselves make out the
the two lists, but it is done by their clerk
and he has in the past been paid so for
the work.
| REFUSED THE LIST OF JURORS.
S. B. Loudon, clerk Tor the County Com
missioners, refused to accept the list tina
S. B. Cavcny, clerk for the Jury Commiss-
toner's certified to the County Commission
ers office, though it ii plainly his duty OF
the duty of the County Commissioners
he was there in their place-to MAKE out in
alphabetical order two lists of the names
! of the persons drawn by the jury commiss-
toner's, to serve as grand, petit, or specis
| Jurors, and one OF the said lists, the county,
commissioners shall deliver TO the sheriff
of the county and the other to the Prothon.
ia ry or clerk OF the proper court to be sci
up by them in the respective offices for tht
inspection of all persons concerned.
The CLERK for the county commissioners
refused to receive the list Of jurors from
the clerk of the jury commissioners and
make out the two lists as above stated that
the county commissioners are required oy
law to make out and set apart to the use
specified in the law.
The clerk to the county commissioned
refused the list OF jurors, he says, because
he believed that the jury commissioner
should have drawn the jury IN the Office o.
the County Commissioners and that he a:
clerk Of the cOunty commissioners shoulC
have been clerk to the jury commissioner
and been present at the drawing of the jury
THE REFUsAL
of the commissioners clerk to receive the
Jury list from the hands OF the clerk of III,
jury commissioners stopped the whole pro.
ceedings. No list could be placed as re
ou,red by law In the hands of the Sheriff