Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-27
IRE AFTER CHRONIC. JURORS
Local Lawyers Propose an Amendment to
the Present Law,
RECC MMEND A Jury COMMISSION
Expense OF Operation Under the
Present Law Sought To lie Az Noidcd
and bigger Gathered Men
Also Selected.

ton are not SdtlS0tu WIN tue present july
law that is in force in Iowa and are not
at all pleased with some Of the measures
that have been introduced in the legislature
to amend the law.
The Jury law and its defects were the
subjects of discussion at a meeting held by
the bar association yesterday morning and
win be further considered at an adjourned
meeting to be held this forenoon at the same
place The meeting was called at the in
stance Of Hon ID. c. Bloomer, president
Of the bar association, and was attended by
a large number Of the members of the bar.
The question of amendments to the jury
law was brought before the meeting by the
presentation of the bill introduced in the
senate by Senator Pusey OF this city. This
measure provides for practical return to
the old system of drawing jures and the
members of the local bar are opposed to that
proposition. While none of them like the
present law they are still more strongly op-
posed to the old system.
Judge Thornel addressed the meeting
and pointed out a number of objections
to the present law. He thought the most
feasible substitute for the present law would
be a jury commission, consisting OF seven
persons, who should select from the poll
book of each precinct In the county certain
number of names Of men known to the com
ice good substantial citizens; and from the
names thus selected the jures should be
drawn.
County Attorney Saunders said that his eX-
perence showed the present system to be
especially bad in connection with the draw
ing of grand iuries without rejecting
on any person who had sat on grand jury
in this county, he felt safe In saying that
under the system now in use each grand
Jury was sure to contain men wholly unit
for He had talked with the
prosecutors Of other counties. and found the
dissatisfaction in this respect to be general.
| l. n. Flickinger believed the jury commits
sion system would be the only relief from
| the evils of the present system, and that espe-
| cial care should be used in dev.sing new
| plan to free 1t from all political influences.
| C. NJ Harl said he believed the workings
of the federal jury System to be In favor OF
the commission system. The old system was
unsatisfactory, and IN some respects the
new system was jumping from the frying pan
| into the fire; but it hal at least dcne away
| with the professional juror, which was one
| of the main objects sought. In connection
| with the workings of the new system, In his
| own experience he had known one case where
| a man was drawn as jurcr who was unable to
| serve because he was N the pententlary,
| and another member OF the same jury was
| found t. have Just been released from the
| pantentiary. Mr.. Harl favored jury COM
mission, to be appointed by the judges of
| the district court, and This commission to
name the jury lists within limited time
after their appointment, in order that they
| shall not be subjected to :he annoyance OF
| solicitations to place this CT that person on
the list He thought 1t would be a good plan
| to provide that any such solicitation should
| make 1t impossible for the man named to be
| placed on the list.
James McCabe SAID he had no doubt the
present law would be repealed as it was
| being opposed all over the state. He was in
favor of making the jury commission strictly
| nonpartisan.
| COMMITTEE AND IT'S REPORT.
On motion of ]. ]. Shea, committee was
| appointed consisting Of j. ]. Shea. e. M
| Harl and |. N Flckinger, to draft an amend
ment to Mr. Pusey's bill, and report their
work to another meeting CT the bar associa-
tion, to be held at $50 o'clock this morn
ing The committee met yesterday AFTER
noon and formulated the following report
| which will be presented at the meeting to-
day:
Your committee would submit the fol
lowing reasons impellng the recommends;
Changes eu uD''the in the present ts jury system:
The present law was devised to o6iyate
evils ariSnE from e baI tbs
result, it has been found cumbersome and
exceedingly expensive. Many jurors RE re,
found to be aegiBIe or ncompetent @ and
great expense, annoyance and and delay ma mas
ton of law. We believe that non-parti-
san jury commission, appointed by the
SSGt Man %aEss e eIft eapedse @
a list of eligible, competent and satisfactory
by from ne wh clerk the pFy anG
in the manner now provided by law, thus
obviatng both the objections to- the profes
sonal Juror and the expense, annoyance ant
delay arising under the present system. We
further belieye that by providing for for @ reg
codrhes. and. when it becomes necessary
authorizing the Judges to order panel OF
pense eas "aPe and delay me now % arising in he sum
| moning of talesmcN can be avoided and tht
expense of maintaining our courts c1rtaile.
present method of providing a box from N
drawn. has many commendable features
we believe that In cases where the city II II
scton, Wio 'ss SO that its taxpayers are ineligible
and In many other cases which arise u
o ws1 order TO sEs psher from sas
talesmen box or summoned by the sherir
from the body Of the county, as he deems
Recognizing, that the, fair. impartial ant
economical administration OF justice Is es
be better secured by the provisions above
outlined than in any ofier way. The draw
! county oI s has has been found Unsatisfactory, ant
expensive. Relegating the selection Of tn,
, tees; whS are not selected with reeferene, ei,,
! to their ntnesS 1OT tnal uuty, mas ilkeWls'
been found to be unsatisfactory, to tn,
, courts. the bar and the people. Where, {
non-partisan commission, selected by th
t judges. with reference to, their acquaint
ance and peculiar fitness for, the perform
ance of that duty, is appointed to make thi
selection. we believe that 1t can and VII
evils arising under both the old and III
f. new system of selecting jurors. Freed alik'
. from partisanship and. the control of ,specia
| interests this commission, charged will
| this duty and responsible for its prope
performance, WIN make, selection of juror,
satisfactory alike to the courts and lti
gants. and which will materially cut dow
Q the burdensome expense and judicial pro
ceedings. Under such system the jury com
mission will not be open to the objection
that exist where It Is composed of a politi
: cal body or constitutes a continuous com
! mission for the selection OF jurors and sub
iect to the temptations of influences whcl
might improperly influence such body.
[ We have adopted as the basis of on
recomme ndations the bin now pending In III
state senate offered by Senator Pusey o
) this county, and have simply engrafted upol
7 that bill the features which We deem to b
essential TO a satisfactory and efficient jur.
system.
Grocery Bills In Litigation.