The American citizen. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1888-1909, 1889-04-12
pRFJJDcED vERDICTs.
vVhv Jurors want to Decide sn Favor 9
Poor Clients.

VVhv Jurors Want to DecaOe IN E"'"A
Poor Clients.
lyon would be surprised how itt1e
the average juryman appreciates tie
importance of his position" remarked
a young man who was drawing his pay
for a weeks jury duty. IN not
sufficiently we'll posted in law to say
that the whole jury system should %
abolished. but my experiences OF the
last week tell me that it should be
radically remodeled. On Monday
went to court and found 100 other men,
like myself, kept away from their
business. It was time for recess when
the score or so of excuses had been
made to the judge. and the court
hadn't been reopened many minutes
before we were dismissed for the day.
The next morning as each case on the
docket was read of q lawyer would
get up and ask for an adjournment on
some trivial plea or other.
1.-The jurymen would then be dis
missed until the afternoon. and soon
after reassembling would be excused
till the next day. This dilly-dallylng
was kept up the entire week, and
although we had nothing to do the
DAYS were so broken into that none OF
us could attend to any private bus1-
ness. The $50 jurymen were divided
into two panels. The one l was In
tried a single case. and l scarcely
think the other panel had any thing
more to do. The jurymen were paid
81, 500 for their weeks work, while
the two cases tried were for
sums amounting to only $500. Law
comes high, and it seems that the
country must have it.
AZ have spoken of how little serious
attention the average juryman gives
to a case. The one we tried was suit
for 800. The moment we were
locked up in the jury-room one OF the
men began to boss every thing
Bows said he, I'm an old hanc
at this business, and have been or
more iuries than any other man IN the
city. I'll show you how to 60 about
the case so as to decide 1t in few
moments, and we can get home IL
time for supper. l guess you're al
for the plaintiff; she's poor woman
and the other fellow has plenty o
dust. If we decide in favor OF tn
plaintiff, we'll only have to agree 9
to the amount of the verdict, and the
the job is done
~I was the only one who held out
but all argument was useless. In
mere fact that the woman was poo
seemed enough to convince the jury
men that she deserved verdict in he
favor. The rich man gets very httl
fair play in the petty courts, as far
the jury is concerned The big bug
have influence enough to get excuse
from jury duty, and they leave til
box to be filled by small tradesmel
These jurors are mostly men OF sue
: pronounced socialistic tendencies tn;
it is utterly impossible for them
SEQ beyond their own pet thecrie
They are no doubt honest enough as
rule, but their prejudiOes are Il
> strong to allow them to judge In
3 case where labor and capital form Il
bone of contention"
A lawyer, commenting on the san
subject, said that as the judge took
directly opposite view from the jur
men things were rather even up.
: a case of poor plaintiff and rich q
- PENDANT, whatever feeling the jud
might have was sure to be again
a sending the matter to the jury.
n knew the jury would be apt to fav
q the plaintiff, and that meant that t
defendant would appeal the case.
that event the judges decision W
:, apt to be reversed, thing which
. would not be likely to relish.-N.
IL Sun.