Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1888-02-23
JURY COMMISSIONERS.
A New Method for Selecting
Jurors.


cerning Juries:-
That it shall be the duty of the
judge of the circuit court in each of
the several counties of this State,
forthwith after this act shall go into
effect as hereinafter provided, to Sc
lect and appoint for each county two
reputable persons, residents and free
holders therein, who shall not be OF
the same political party, to be known
and designated as Commissioners of
Juries," who, after they have become
duly qualified as herein directed, shall
proceed at once to make two complete
lists, alphabetically arranged, of the
names OF all the persons in their re-
spectlve counties liable to Jury duty.
which lists, when completed, shall be
certified by the said commissioners
under their hands to be true and cor
rect lists of all the persons liable TO
jury duty in the said counties, SO far
as they can ascertain, one copy of
which they shall cause to be filed III
the office Of the clerk Of such county.
there to remain on record, and the
other they shall deliver to the said
Judge for his use and inspection; and
the said judge may, at any time there
after, when in his judgment it may be
| necessary, order and direct the said
commissioners in like manner to revise
and correct the said lists and certify
the same, and for the purpose of pre-
| pairing and correcting such lists the
said commissions may have access to
| and take copies Of the assessment rolls
of the several wards and townships Of
the county for which they may be ap-
! pointed.
That the said commissioners shall,
before they enter upon the discharge
of their duties, take and subscribe an
| oath before some person authorized to
| administer the same, faithfully and
| inpartiaily to execute the duties Of
their office according to the best of
their skill and understanding, which
oath shall be filed in the Office of the
clerk of the county within and for
which they are appointed; and the
said commissioners shall hold their
office for the term of three years and
until others are in like manner APP
pointed in their stead; they shall hold
no other public office within srch
county while so acting, aud shall .Ae
ceive such compensation as the said
judge shall order and direct, regard
being had to the character and the
value of the service rendered by them.
which shall be paid by the county in
and for which they are SO appointed;
provided, that such compensation shall
in no case exceed five hundred dollars
to each commissioner in any one year.
That on q day and at a time to
be fixed by said judge, not more than
| thirty days before the next term of the
circuit court held in and for such
county, the said commissioners shall,
in open court, in the presence OF such
| judge, select from the said lists such
number of names as in the judg-
lnent Of the judge, or in his absence
the presiding or senior judge of the
court OF common pleas, will be suffi-
cient from which to draw a panel of
jurors to serve for the next ensuing
term Of the courts of said county,
which shall in no case be less than
treble the number required for such
panel, regard being had in making
| such selection to securing, as far as
| practicable, a fair and just representa-
ton to the various wards and town
ships OF such county; and the said
| commissioners shall in like manner Sc
lect from said list the names of seven.
| ty-fv persons liable to service as
grand jurors, regard baing had in
making such selection to the qualif-
cations of the persons so selected on
account of talents, knowledge, indie
pendence and integrity; and from the
| names OF the persons so selected for
| petit jurors and grand jurors, the petit
jurors and grand jurors who Shall
serve for the next ensuing term of the
courts of such county, shall be drawn
as hereinafter provided.
| That the said commissioners or on "a
Of them, shall, at the same time the
said names are selected as herein pro-
vided, both for petit jurors and grand
Jurors, publicly announce the names
| so selected, and shall cause the same
| to be each separately written on slips
| of paper, of the same size, color and
| shape, as near as may be, each one of
which pieces of paper, with the name
SO written thereon, shall be handed by
one of said commissioners to the said
judge, who, after examining the same,
shall give it to the clerk of the court,
who shall record the name written
thereon in q book to be kept by him
for that purpose, and the said CLERK
shall then and there fold the said paper
so as to conceal the name thereon,
| and he shall deposite the slips contain
ing the names SO selected for petit
jurors in one box and the names so
selected for grand jurors in another,
and the selection of names shsll so
proceed until the necessary number
have been selected, written down by a
commissioners, examined by the Judge,
recorded by the clerk and deposited
by him in the boxes as aforesaid.
That immediate after the names SO
selected have been written down, ex-
alnined, recorded and deposited in the
boxes as aforesaid, the said commits
sioners, or one of them, shall, in the
presence Of said court, proceed to draw
from the said box containing the names
of the persons selected for grand jurors
(first having caused the slips therein
deposited to be- shaken and mixed to-
gether in such u manner as to thor
oughly intermingle the pieces of paper
contained therein the names of twenty
four persons, who shall be summoned
to serve as grand jury in and for such
county for the next ensuing term of
court thereof; and shall, in like man.
ner, draw from the box containing the