The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-07-27
HOW THEY WILL Be DRAWN
The New Judiciary Law viii 90 Into
Eject Next Month.
HOW The new SYSTEM WILL WORK
professional Jurymen VIII Now He with.
out an Occupation-The Drawing wiu
Take Place Only Once q Year Instead
OF Before Each Term of the Court

OF Before Each Term of the Court
The members of the board of aldermen
are pretty busy just now. Under the
new judiciary law, which will 90 into
erect next month, they must prepare on
or before the 18th of August, a list or
all the persons liable to do jury duty. Il
has been the custom for years for each
riderman 10 prepare the list for his own
ward. and the same rule 1t is understood.
Is being followed this year.
Ihis Is no inconsiderable task espe-
cially in hot weather, but the ALDERMEN
90 not seem disposed to murmur. The
ssnnI;ns sruiIi;ssry law SO far as 1t
jurors. their term sn' Of d.swl1s ssyyies. &C Of
makes some radical changes-c6anres
which 1t is believed will be In every wav
Tor the better. Under the system az
drawing Jurors heretofore In vogue there
were opportunities for favoritism to use no
stronger term, which, whether improved
or not, were often pointed out as among
theradical weaknesses Of the Jury system.
win the new law no man who n
qualified and lis drawn to sit AZ a Juror
can escape the performance OF
that duty unless he IL physically
or mentally incapacitated, or unless
some member OF his immediate
Moreover, the professional jurymen. and
there are many Of them. will find them
selves out or a Job for no citizen can
SIT as q Juror for more than week. ex-
cent by the permission of the court, and
the court can extend tho term OF his
four weeks.
How the New Law WIN Work.
The provisions of the new law ara
novel and the result of their practical
operation will be watched with consid.
cradle interest After the list of all thoae
who are liable to do jury duty has been
prepared by the board IL 10 certi-
hsd to the city clerk. The city clerk
then makes copy of this list and this
common pleas division on DO or b bsfors sss
August 25. The latter, in turn.
will then erase from ttrfs ffsf
the names Of those who have served a.
Jurymen during the preceding two
years. This revised list will then be re-
turned to the city clerk and it will be
his duty TO write on separate slips of
Rsp'i iist. all names appearing on the revised
These slips will DO placed in q box
which will remain in the possession of
the city clerk. and from which the alder
men will on or before Septembsr 3, this
year, draw los names, four for grand and
The method Of drawing is also differ,
ent from that heretofore In use. The
presiding officer takes from the box one
slip or paper. He reads the name alotd
ana then passes IL to one Of the alder
men. who also reads the name aloud and
thep, passes " to the next, and 20 on
the name on the slip.
The name Is then entered by tho clerk
In book kept by him for the purpose
The sane proceeding is had In the eeleo,
tion OF the 10S names When the WORK
Is completed each alderman certides TO
the correctness OF the list ~ recorded By
the clerk.
Notifying the Jurors.
This list comprises the total numbe1
of jurors that will be needed for the year
or until the regular and usual drawing.
which after the present year will take
place between the 18th of June and the
third Monday In July.
Whenever justice of the common
pleas division requires jury, he notifies
the clerk. who L" turn notifies the city
the place at which they are to serve.
aud time at which they are to
report. From the list of Ij8
previously drawn by the board of alder
men the city clerk takes the required
number OF names beginning at the ton,
lie then makes out u summons which Is
served on the jurors by the city sergeant.
This process is repeated as often as In
necessary, but there is but one drawing
annually instead OF one for each
term OF the court as hereto
fore. Should it happen. however, that
the number drawn at the annual session
for that purpose is not sufficient the city
clerk is notified aud the board of alder.
men selec,s the additional number In the
same manner as the original los were
chosen.
Not Hardship.
The new law makes jury duty compul-
burdensome. That is. while q man
drawn as a juror must serve sometime
uring the year he will not be COM
PEELED 10 do so to the injury Of his
private all hrs. Should he be summoned
for service at "a time when his absence
from business would cause him serious
financial loss he can explain the matter
To the justice who is empowered to
excuse him until some more favorable
time. but the court has no authority to
excuse him from all duty.
The new law KNOCKS out the profess
81 nal jurymen. for it provides tnat no
man who has not been regularly
drawn and summoned can sit
OH the jury. No jury man
will be required to sit more than one
week, but the court can in its discretion
exterd G. term TO four weeks, but no
longer For failure to report for duty
a ter Icing summoned, the juror 10
punished for contempt by fine not exa
ceeding s2J.
Next year the list of p'rsons liable to
do duty VIII De made up during tue
IN nth II May aud ANU lily in tnat
mouth afterward, ard tie drawing sill
axe place between June Is AM the third
Monday ia July tuuaaly.