The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1896-03-26
ABOUT THE
JURY SYSTEM.
Some Remarks On The Policy Of
Trying To Secure The Twelve
Biggest Idiots as a Jury.
A NEW COURT RULING.

Mon who Road aud Reason Not uuniihsd
For Tho Most Responsible" D"'is" OF
Citizen -I,Iockhends and Fools Preferred
Intelligent and just verdicts GA" only
Come From Intelligent Men.
Recently there have been a mum
Der of trials in the courts OK tnis
State In which the verdicts OF Inc
iury have shocked honest men and
disgusted intelligent people. A
great cause, perhaps the chief cause,
of this is the too persistent. and too
often successful, efforts Of lawyers to
empanel jury Of idiots and fools.
Because of an exception to the gen
cr.l rule, in which a jury Of intelli-
gent men heard a case, the lawyer
appearing for a criminal recently
asked the Judge to set aside the
verdict; and gave as his reason for
the motion that the Jurors read the
NEWSPAPERS. Commenting on this
the Philadelphia Item forcibly says:
Judge Barrett Of the New York
Supreme Court, in refusing to set
aside the conviction OF Police In
spector Mclaughlin, because sew
eral men were admitted to the jury
box, who had admitted having read
the newspaper charges against the
accused man, has set an example
which should be generally adopted.
The Jurors, when questioned, de-
clared that they had formed Opin-
ions from what they had read, but
they were ready to lay aside, and to
Judge solely from the. evidence. This
seems to meet every needed qualifi-
cation for jury service in this intel
ligent age.
1t is queer that, with u general
advance in all other lines, the law
should attempt to stick to the musty
methods of the dark ages. Because
centuries ago, and long before news
papers became general, men were
supposed to be disqualified from jury
duty because they had discussed the
crime or the criminal, it is folly tC
continue a practice which in this
enlightened age means downright
stupidity.
The prompt and proper rendition
of verdicts requires that. juror.
should be men of intelligence; tina
they should be fully acquainted with
the case, and the influence of Ger
tain crimes upon the community
And vet in the Difference to anti
quated practices some Judges would
keep this class of men out of thu
Jury box, and transform trials int
farces by turning over the punish
ment of crime to men either too stu
pid or too Indifferent to- keep poste'
upon the news of the day.
In his opinion affirming the cor
viction, Judge Barrett said:
"Daily newspapers, especially /
the large cities, are published in grea
numbers. All intelligent men ar
accustomed to read these newspa
pers, and may form more or less def
mite opinions or impressions as t
the matters therein contained, an
express such opinions or impression
to others. Only the ignorant classe
fail to read the newspapers fror
day to day. 1t is apparent, there
fore, that when men are called a
Jurors to sit in an important crimi
nal case, case that has OK
cited great feeling and interes
in the community, few hon
est, intelligent men will be abb
to say that;theylhave not heard of o
read of the case, and have not form
ed or expressed an opinion or i'm
preston of the defendent who
being tried. If. therefore, an hor
est, intelligent jury is to be obtaine
at all in the case, men who hav
heard and read of the case or VIII
have formed and expressed an opir
ion or impression as to the guilt {
innocence must be selected. Th
intention of the Legislature in pre-
viding that such men may serv
under certain conditions was to Ell
able the parties to select jury con
posed Of intelligent men, rather tina
one composed of men who are ign
rant, who do not read or think or hay
ideas with reference to things hal
pening in the community"
If intelligent verdicts are to
obtained, intelligent men must sit
Judgment in the jury box. And Il
intelligent man is invariably a rea
err of the newspapers.
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