Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-06
THE VALUE OF JURIES.
In France Jury Trial is Not Highly Re-
garded.

From Paris Letter.
Judges seem to be in greater favor in France
than juries. Certainly they are more relied
upon by those responsible for the French code
Of procedure. though they would hardly, we
should think, be held preferable by these cited
for trial. if one may Judge from the statistics
at hand. In civil cases juries are entirely I'M
known, and it is only in one Of the courts, the
court of assizes, that such uncertain quantities
are brought into play even in the trial Of crimi-
mails. But the statistics-well, they are de-
cidedly suggestive, and they have a marked
bearing on the question, often raised in America,
as to whether jurymen are a help or hindrance
in the administration of justice. The figures
we quote have reference to judicial procedure
in France during recent four years. and what
they show is. that while acquittals before assize
courts, with trial by jury, were q per cent, and
while OF those found guilty In such courts
IA per cent gained verdict Of "extenuating
circumstances" in the other courts, where the
judges are the jury, there were only 6 per cent
OF acquittals and but GO per cent who had their
punishment tempered because of mitigating
circumstances.
TENDER HEARTS AND SOFT HEADS.
French juries are extremely sentimental. If
our memory is not at fault it was a
jury Of this nationality who acquitted
the murderer Of his father and mother
because his counsel appealed to them
to have pity upon poor orphan. At any rate,
that the twelve good men and true" often &C.
quit over here when the verdict by right
should be one of guilty is only too apparent
to even the indulgent French mind. We have
not heard that French jurymen have the
itching palms attributed sometimes to iuries
in America, but they surely have tender sensi-
bilities and. in some cases, rather soft heads
Beauty in distress hardly ever appeals to them
in vain, and it is proverbiai that in q class Of
cases which is rather common here, as, for in
stance, where. from jealousy or some other
strong passion, a woman has drawn a revolver
against her erstwhile lover, or perhaps thrown
vitriol over him, the twelve good Frenchmen in
the jury box are almost sure to judge Ieniently,
breaks down. they will not only acquit but will
do so with choked voices and with a eympa-
thetic use of their pocket handkerchief.
THE JUDGE IS FACTOR.
But there are other queer doings in French
courts besides those in which sentimental iuries
figure. 1t seems strange, for instance, to find
the presiding judge acting as prosecutor. Not
only does he examine and cross-examine the
witnesses, but he subjects the accused to q SIM
liar process and does not scruple to express his
opinion Of the latter and even to strongly con-
denim him while he is still. the verdict not hay-
ing been given, presumptively innocent. But
this presumption Of innocence does not seem to
exist in France. Charles de Lesseps is told by
the judge that he has been mixed up in a dirty
job, and when this opinion was volunteered
his trial had scarcely begun. This illustrates
how the accused are treated, and another Incl
dent in the same trial shows how the judges
may comment adversely, if they choose, upon
the testimony Of witnesses.
TIE president-Do you know who received
the cash voucher for 500, 900 francs?
Witness-No.
The president-1t is strange that you should
not know. 1t seems to me that myself should
have beet more inquisitive than that. Laugh
ter