Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-09-24
think the following, from the Code of the
State of Illinois, explicit enough:


1t shall not be a cause of challenge that the
juror has read in the newspapers an account of
the commission of the crime with which the
prisoner is charged If such juror shall state, on
oath, that he believes he can render an impair
tial verdict, according to the law and the evil
dence.
In the trial of any criminal cause the fact
that person called as juror has formed an
opinion or an impression based upon rumor or
upon newspaper statements (about the truth of
which he has expressed no opinion) shall not
disqua ify him to serve as Juror in such case,
can fairly and impartially render a verdict
therein, in accordance with the Law and the evil
dence, and the Court shall be satisfied with the
truth of such statement.
But it appears that the lawyers and the
Court are not able to understand the sec
tions quoted as the layman reads them. If
talesman has an opinion, it appears to be
sufficient to secure his rejection, despite
the qualifications expressed by him that
he is not SO fixed in the opinion as to pre-
vent him from rendering verdict accord
ing to the law and the evidence, and that
he believes himself capable of dealing with
the case with impartiality and without
prejudice. No man fit to sit upon jury
to try another for his life, can read the
news of the day and not think to some ex-
tent upon the events recited; no man is fit
to sit upon jury who does not gain some
knowledge, day by day, of the worlds af-
fairs, and of the great tragedies of the
times. If he is a just man, he does
not allow his knowledge thus acquired
to lead him to final judgment, or to
such conclusions as are called fixed" until
he has heard all the testimony and has
carefully weighed the evidence. But in
the Cronin case, the slightest shade of an
opinion entertained appears to be enough
to dismiss the men from the panel who
have intelligence and who value, above
all else. their self-respect. The effort
appears to be to secure jurymen whose
minds are as blank and vacant as those of
babes. Whoever has read newspaper ac.
count or theory of the Cronin mystery
appears to be rejected, no matter how ex.
plicit he is in the statement that he has
no bias against the defendants, and that
his mind is, as to them, in a receptive
condition for the truth. With men in the
jury box who know nothing of the
Cronin case, and have never read of, OF
heard it discussed, Chicago will come
about as near impaneling jury of igno.
ramuses as any one can succeed in gather.
ing together from all the great State
of Illinois. The Chicago Inter- Ocean, which
is not given to hasty judgment, declares
that the selection of a jury in the Cronin
case has degenerated into a farce and that
the proceedings in the Court, in that re.
spect, are mockery. 1t concludes sen,
sibly that:
! Sound judgement, integrity, and a con
| seientious regard of duties and obligations
moral as well as legal, should weigh against
| mere opinion based on allegations, the truth or
untruth of which can only be determined by
evidence of which the talesman has no formal
knowledge. Let there be a more sensible dis.
tinction made between decided opinion" and
| opinion of light character in the Cronin case
as the law provides there shall be in such
cases, and the scandal of the last two weeks
Will be greatly diminished.