The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-11-22


actually decided, and that for only $3.50.
These men were put to n great disad-
vantage, getting an entirely inadequate
compensation for their services, and on
account of the fact that they were picked
up (as juries usually are) there were q
number OF hung juries. If there had
only been three men, intelligent and
painstaking and interested in the well
fare of the community, probably nearly
every case would have been decided
properly, and tho county would have
had very much smaller amomnt to
have paid"
The Theory All Right.
Commonwealth Attorney w. o.
Hardaway: The theory of the jury sys-
tom is all right, and the laws are as
good as can be made. Tho trouble lies
in the fact that the judges and officers
are often careless in tho provision of
proper material for jurors"
In answer to the question as to tho
class of men best qualified as jurors.
Mr.. Hardaway said: ENTHUSIASTICALLY
they should be the best men of every
community. Tho great questions at
stake are those Of the right Of property
as woll as personal liberty, and worthy
men should, if possible. be chosen to ad.
judicate the intricate differences which
are consta ntly arising between men. If
good citizens are selected as jurors,
their verdicts, whatever they may BIO,
arc always satisfactory to the com
munity.
Tho matter is entirely in the hands
OF the court, and If the court does it's
duty there is no reason why profess
sional or incompetent juror should be
seen in the box. The most important
duty of a Judge is a careful selection of
pOOd and corn oatant iurnrc
The Proper Remedy.
Everett Perkins said that he had read
with interest the article in THE TIMES.
lie thought, however, that the system
was all right. When Juror has been
regularly drawn he should be made to
serve, unless, in the opinion of the
| judge, he has valiG and satisfactory
excuse.
II think" said he, "that the matter
in THE TINES virtually covers the
ground. l have no fault to find with
the present system, but the chronic
jurors could be largely done away with
through tho prompt administration of
the penalty to those who absent them
selves from the court after the due
formality of summons. BY rigid ad-
herence to this principle, the evil com
planned of could be remedied."
'Parasftical AdJudicators."
G. w. Crumpecker; "rho law is quite
exhaustive and minute in defining the
manner of preparing the annual list of
jurors. numbering from ono hundred to
| three hundred-how it is passed from
the judge to the clerk to be safely kept
by him, the manner of drawing ballots
from the box and impaneling the jury,
lnhibiting jury service more than once
| during the same year, unless under pc
| culiar circumstances, and finally how
deficiency is supplied from the bystand.
ers, all of which is made incumbent
upon the court to carefully watch and
control. Upon the call from the by
ISLANDERS is when the professional Juror
| gets in h s work
The words of the statute are: The
court may cause sufficient number to
be returned from the bystanders so
that the court whose peculiar province
it is to judge and admit proper Jurors,
and under whose direct observation they
must come, is to be looked to to keep the
jury box invioiate. 1t is quite safe to
say, however, this cannot be done when
the court sits passively and allows it's in
dolent officers to fill the places of good
honorable, fair, DISTINGUISHED and COM
petent jurors with laggards, professional
jurors, or more fittingly termed parasit-
lCdl
Suitable Men for Jurors
w. S. Gooch: There is no fault in
the jury system, the trouble, in nv
opinion, being In tho manner it is ad
mini: tered. The professional or chronic
juror is an evil that every court has to
contend with. There are two things,
which, ii done, would do away with this
evil. The first is for the Judge to select
suitable men for jurors and enforce
strictly stringentru es com polling them
to attend. Tbs second is, when there
| are unavoidable vacancies to be filled,
and the sergeant is entrusted with that
duty, for him to be careful in picking
up persons to fill these vacancies; to
use judgment and discretion and select
| suitable mon to the exclusion OF the
| professionals. who must be as we'll
known to him as they arc to others.
''ln the month Of August tho Judge
prepare list of grand Jurors to serve
for one year,and in the month of May or
June ne prepares list of those to serve
| in the trial ot all civil cases, and the
| law is that no one will be compelled to
| serve twice from either list until tho
| entire list has pern exhausted. In the
trial OF felonies the Judge gives TO the
| sergeant Il list II those who are to serve.
selected specially by him with refer
once to their fl ness. Thus it will be
seen that only in filing vacancies. &C.
casioned by the failure of the regularly
selected aud summoned persons to at
tend, is there m opening for the pro.
fessioral to slip il.
1.-The law unfortunately exempts too
many from jury service. Besides bust
ness men object to jury service for many
reasons. There ia no reason II the sYs
tenn is properly administered why any
man should be called On to serve moro
[ than twice in one year and every good