Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-24
SHORTER TERMS FOR JURORS

SHORTER TERMS FOR JURORS.
The Law Providing for Monthly Draw.
tnSs Soon to be In Force.
II BENEFICIAL KyrEcrs ALREADY SEEN AT TIE
orrf nALI~-rHE OBJECTIONS OF BUSINESS MEN
TO LONG TERMS OF JURY sERvrcx-NKw RULES
ABOUT TO BE MADE
II il not unlikely that before the Supreme
Court of the District adjourns for the summer
ths rules will be amended 80 as to conform
With the act regulating and shortening the
terms Of the Circuit and Criminal Court jurors
This act goes into operation July Is, although
for some months past the spirit Of the provis-
ion limiting jury service to one month had
been observed by the justice holding these
courts excusing such jurors ~ had served thirty
days and who asked to be relieved
rHH NEW Law
repeals certain sections of the Revised Statutes
in relation to the drawing Of jurors and effects
the jurors for the Circuit and Criminal courts,
but not the grant jurors. The latter are not
required to be in constant attendance, and to
Q great extent, control their own time and. or
dinarily, while the average length of service Of
petit jurors has often been as high as seventy
days per term, the grand jury seldom makes
over thirty DAYS per term and the hours they sit,
beginning at IL o'clock, seldom run beyond
O'Clock. The service of the others is required
ordinarily from 10 to 8 or 4 o'clock, with con-
slant prospect Of confinement over nightin case
of q disagreeing jury. In consequence Of the
length OF the term the jury service has not been
popular among business men, and the question
of limiting the service to thirty days, as is pre-
scribed in the recent act, had been discussed
BY members Of the bar and others for many
years. In the olden times, from the establish
ment OF the courts here at the beginning of the
century to 1852, the jurors were selected and
summoned by the marshal, and the records
show that the best citizens Of the District
served frequently. Some Of the older court
officers say that applications for excuse were
then extremely rare. 1t was, however, charged
from time to time that favoritism was shown in
the selection. and now and then the term
stereotype jurors" was applied to some of
those selected and who were honestly earning
their per diem for probably thirty days per
term
THE JURY COMMISSION.
In 1862 the law providing for the selection Of
names and drawing Of names for juries was en-
acted and went into operation. This provided
that on or before the LIST Of February of each
year the jury commission should meet. can
vass, and place in the box five hundred and
twenty names-four hundred from Washington
city, eighty from Georgetown, and forty from
the county. This commission was composed
of the register Of the city Of Washington, the
recorder of Georgetown, and the clerk OF the
Levy Court. When the old corporation went
out of existence the law was changed, and in
April. 1871, the Supreme Court of the District
was authorized to appoint a new commission
for this purpose, and the care of the Jury box
is still in their hands. As a rule they have fur
nished sets of names which should have been
acceptable to all.
The new law continues the commission and
laayaa har Of tba
force, but its main feature is the reduction of
the term of service to date from the first Tues
day in each month TO the Monday preceding
the first Monday in the following month"; and
provides that after one has served not less than
twenty days he shall be exempt for one year.
ANTICIPATING THE ACT.
In anticipation of the operation Of the act,
Judge Montgomery, at the March term, ex-
cused all jurors who desired it after they had
served thirty days, and Judge Bradley has been
quite as lenent.
The benefits OF the new arrangement are al
ready seen, for in convening the June term OF
the Criminal Court on Monday not single one
of the jurors drawn asked to be excused on ac-
count Of business and the few whose places had
TO be nIIed were those who were sick or exempt
by reason OF being employees of the govern
ment This was quite an unusual occurrence.
The Judge was agreeably surprised, as well as
the marshal and officers of the court who had
frequently seen over half Of the jurors rise to
present excuses at the commencement of the
term Judge Montgomery when he came to
the bench a few years ago. was quite taken
aback by the many applications for excuse
presented to him and remarked that the Dis
trict in this regard excelled any place he knew
Of The general plea offered has been pressure
Of business. Under the mode of selecting
names for the jury box by commission the ma
jority Of names placed in the box have been
those Of business men While to many jury
service. especially in the Criminal Court where
life and liberty and not dollars and cents as in
the Circuit Court. are involved, Is not agree
able, the objections generally came because of
the length OF the service required. Under the
new arrangement it is expected that the service
required will be given more cheerfully.
SHORT TERMS AND MORE JURORS.
As the shortening of the term of service will
require an increase in the total number of
jurors, some means will be provided for re-
plenishing the box more than once a year. as
has been the rule heretofore. Under the old
system, from the $40 names placed in the
Do1 there were actually required 2l5 Jurors
but owing to the number found to be exempt
and excused 30 many vacancies were sometimes
created as 70 require the drawing Of nearly all
the remaining names. On more than one oc-
casion have the commissioners been required
to replenish the box before the date mentioned
In the law. Under the new arrangement of
monthly jurors the grand jury will remain as
AT present, So being drawn annually. but
the jurors for the trials Of criminal and civil
causes viii be drawn monthly. 1t is thought
that there will be nine If not ten drawings per
year. The minimum number required Of these
viii be 468, making Q total, with the grand
jurors, Of 5S7. The justices Of the Supreme
Court OF the District and the officers Of the
court have been canvassing the subject and it
Is not unlikely they will soon formulate rules
TO meet the new order Of things.