The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-07-20

The agitation among some Of our
most careful jurists in behalf Of Jury
reform Ia increasing rather than less
ening. While conservative sentiment
unQuestionably agrees with Attorney
General Mccormick, OF this state, that
Vt would be unwise to discard the pres
ent jury system. and that the effort
should rather be to clearly define its
defects and then improve them, II Is
equally determined, IL one may judge
from representative press comments.
not 20 sit quiet under present abuses.
In this connection, therefore, a letter by
Walter Il. Scaife written from Geneva.
Switzerland. to the Pittsburg Dispatch
and containing an outline OF some Eur
opean laws on the SUBJECT Will no oouo'
be read with interest ..
In france writes MT oca,e, '"e
NUMBER OF names 10 oe p'aceu 'n ~,
ahnuui us. ior eaeh uep"' .ns .''s.,. 90 tha
py law once y.ar' '"e 80
peaIe' "'s uepu. ,,,no, n, =.
,"la.,e, ,,l. y, 49," go, .naa,har and
u'e.l''. Va"a" ,,.. .".o,n,,n do,,h,e the
uraw w n ~, ..,.,aS .ha d,s,rlct
- a.t,.,aa whi.h ,,st 10 exnosed to pub-
~. 70 '" IT,, Cow ohtac,ion during two
.,,oo,,s An sucb lists are then sent.
VIZ, H. nh,ant,ors to .b. r,es,dent of
,ha o,vi, court az the county tarrondis-
VIZ "ont, u,ho With tba Justices of the
aoaoa ord tho county council. reduces
tho r,mber IN one-half nv choice, and
- .,,,, ,,st ,hot of the trial tury IA
astarward reached by two drawings
~, Ia, Tot A. Sere be remarked that
IN France az in all other countries of
the continent where the fury system Is
In u.a II is employed only for criminal
matte,s. as the European jurists as a
r,,,o are strongly opposed TO trusting
the comp)icated matters OF civil life
70 iurv trial.
c,s Comp,ientcd system.
"caun,any has adopted a most COM
ated system Of selecting Jurors, by
tha action Of Judges ard an elected
onr,r,,ssior wh,ch would probably
,,,r,.., tha natience of any American
oor,r,,r,tv suffice IL 10 say that by
.,,i, ,oor's tho court where q crime Is
en- no tried ia furnished with the
names of thirty men who have been
deemed worthy of the office Of juror.
Service is obligatory, under a penalty
of from s to 1000 marks, ito be fixed
without appeal to the court.
1.-THE law Of the Swiss Confederation
provides for the election every six
years of one juror for every 1000 OF
the populations; ard those elected must
serve, unless they are more than GO
years Of age.or afflicted with chronic
sickness or other defect which renders
them incapacitated to act as juror.
From those elected, list Is drawn by
the supreme court every year, and
sent ITO each circuit, where 1t Is pub
lished. When there Is to be trial. a
second list of "a Is drawn by lot, In
OPEN court, from the names thus re-
ceived; from which list each party Is
allowed to challenge twenty, leaving
fourteen; and from these fourteen, two
are drawn by lot, who are present in
the jury box and sworn like the others,
but who have no voice in the verdict.
unless one or other of the first twelve
has by accident or illness been rend-
cred incapable of performing his duty
EIcctiuc the Jurors.
"rhe Swiss canton of Neuchatel has
a. new code of criminal procedure,
which 1nas been highly praised by Eu-
ronean iurists. This proyides for the
election Of jurors: and from all those
elected. thirty-eight names are drawn
IN omen court for each session from
,,,hioh tho trial i,,rors ara ae,7in drawn
allowing for challenges, half to each
party, unless only twelve remain. II
several accused are to be tried at the
same session, they may be asked by
the resident Of the court II they agree
to be tried by the same jury; and in
case Of affirmative answer, they may
consult together On the challenges.
Service on the jury is here also obli-
gatory, subject to a penalty Of from
20 to 100 francs.
Where the Jurors are not elected,
the law especially provides that per-
sons belonging 10 certain unworthy
categories shall be excluded from the
Jury list. Thus Germany declares in
capable of acting as juror all those
who have been legally charged or con-
victed of any crime or misdemeanor
which has for a result the loss of the
honor right (Ehrenrechte) of Citizen
ship, or of the possibility Of admission
to public Office. Servants ard Ghose
who receive or have received within