Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-07-01
COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED.
Judge Webb appoints r. II. Boynton,
Archie Mcmillan and P. n.
Christensen Commits
sioners to Select
Jurors

| Webb appointed r. II. BOyntOn, Of
Pittsville, Archie Mcmillan, of Cen
tralia, and P. n. Christensen, Of the
town of Lincoln, as a special commits
sion to select jurors for Wood County.
| The commissions have been issued for
one, two and three years, in the order
named above. With the commissions
the Judge forwarded the following
suggestions to each commissioner
which we hereto append:
Chapter 176 Of the laws Of 1897 takes
from County Boards of Supervisors Of
the several counties the power hereto
| fore possessed and exercised by them,
| to select the names Of persons from
! whom jurors Of the circuit courts are
to be drawn, and COnfers it upon q
especial commission" for each county,
! the members Of whom are chosen and
appointed by the circuit judge. You
have been accordingly selected to con-
! stitute such special commissions, in
your respective counties. Said chap
| ter l76 is the charter which COnfeTs the
power and authority which you are to
| exercise, but other important statutes
|
with which, as we'll as with said chap
ter 176, you should become thoroughly
familiar, and should strictly observe
and obey. The following suggestions
are submitted for your consideration
in the hope that they will in some
measure simplify your labOrS, and aid
you in proper discharge Of your
| duties:
l. Each commissioned having taken
the prescribed oath Of office before, and
filed the same IN the office Of, the clerk
| Of the circuit court you should meet
| in your respective counties and fix the
| time when your work will commence.
| This should be sufficiently early to
afford ample time for the work of
| yourselves and the clerk of the court
| hereinafter more particularly men
| toned.
2. In counties having more than
20, 900 inhabitants at the last census,
| portage, WaupaCa and Wood, at least
| four hundred names must be fur
niShed; in counties having less than
| 10000 inhabitants, adams and Wau-
shara, not less than two hundred and
| fifty names must be returned. Com
| pleted lists of such names should be
furnished to the clerk Of the court not
| less than tacenty days before the first
term of court to be held in his county.
| Of such completed lists, one COPY is
to be retained by the clerk and filed
and preserved in his office, and at least
one copy is to be kept and preserved
| by the commissioners, or one OF them.
| The clerk is also required to write
each name on a separate Slip Of paper
and fold and deposit the same in d
| box to be provided for the purpose.
| there to remain until drawn out as
hereinafter stated. The names must
be so deposited, properly folded, IN the
| presence Of the commissioners. (Sec. ,.
chapter 176.)
B. At lcuSt fifteen days before the
commencement of the next land each
| subsequent term of the circuit court
in any county, the clerk Of the court.
| in the presence Of the commissioners,
must draw from the box containing
the names furnished as aforesaid a
sufficient number Of names to cOnSti-
tute the regular panel of petit jurors
| for such term Of court. The names
Of such jurors are to be entered, as
they are drawn, upon record book to
be kept by the clerk. (Sec. +, chapter
1861
/. a complete list of names having
been once furnished in each county,
it will be the duty Of the respective
commissions thereafter, from time to
| time as may be necessary, in like man
ner to furnish additional names so
| that the list in any county shall at no
| time be less than one hundred and .fftg
when any regular panel Of jurors are
| to be drawn. In counties which uSu-
| ally have prOtracted jury terms of
court, it will be wise to fill up the list
of undraWn jurors to near the original
number, once year.
5. Two members of the commits
| sion for any county constitute quo
rum, and may together transact bust
ness in the absence of the other mem
Der. But all members should act
together when it is practicable.
6. Your attention is called PARTIC-
ULARLY to the Importance of select
ing persons to act as jurors who are
in all respects qualified to serve as such.
and who are not exempt from such ser
vice. See Sections 2524 S. & B. An.
Statutes, and chapter 40, Laws of 1893.
The first, as you will see, makes all
citizens Of the United States who are
electors Of this state liable, primarily, to
ScINC DIS JllIUIS. NO person. Is @ ALl-
FLED to serve who is not such citizen
and electOr; but some who do possess
these qualifications are nevertheless
disqualified to serve, (aS persons of I'M
sound mind, and some others,) while
reIy 1aany others, not legally disQual-
flied, are exempted by law from jury
service, and should therefore not be
named in the list from which jurors
are to be drawn. The classes so eX-
empted include many persons. They
are given in full in said chapter 40
laws Of 1898, which amends and takes
the place Of Section 2525, S. & B. An
Statutes. (See and note this statute
carqdly.) No person och0 as attbin ana
Of the classes exempted by said chapter 10
from jlny Serrjce should be included an
yO1n list. If selected he acjU not be OBJ
llged to Selre: in the great majority of
| cases he lCit not SeTCe, while to replace
him, after he has been drawn, with a
tit person who must serve, will involve
delay and needless expense to the
public and to SuitOrS. In this cOnnec-
ton you are advised to at once obtain
from the clerks Of the several cities
OF your respective counties certified
lists of the 0ctire members of fire COM
panleS therein, to the end that all
such names be omitted from your lists.
This certified list can be revised in
each subsequent year, and so kept at
fnlt Z 81, 4