The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-02-12
The new jury LAW.

Text OF the New Jury Law Passed
by the Legislature and APPROX
ed by the Governor.
The following is the full text of the
jury law just enacted by the Legisla-
ture, which has been approved by the
Governor. and is of splecial interest
to every county in the State:
Sec. l. That the county auditor
che county treasurer and the clerk of
the court of common pleas of each
county in this State shall perform the
duties herinafter set forth.
Sec. 2. That the said county audi
tor, county treasurer and clerk of the
court of common pleas of each County
shall Immediately after the passage of
this act, and thereafter in the month
of December of this and each succeed
ing year, prepare list of such quail
fed electors, under the provisions of
the constitution, between the ages of
q and IS years and of good moral
character, of their respective counties,
as they may deem otherwise we'll quail
fed to serve as jurors, being persons
of sound judgment and free from all
legal exceptions, which list shall in
clude not less than one from every
three of such qualified electors under
the provisions of the constitution, be-
tween the ages of 81 and IS years, and
of good moral character, to be selected
without regard to whether such per-
sons live within five miles or more
than five miles from the court house.
Sec. 3. That of the list so prepared
the county auditor, county treasurer
and clerk of the court of common
pleas, shall cause the names to be
written, each on a separate paper or
ballot, so as to resemble each other as
much as possible and so folded that
the name written thereon shall not be
visible on the outside, and shall place
them, with the said list, in a strong
and substantial box, without apper-
lures or openings when closed Ito be
known as the "jury box'') to be fur
nished to them by the county super
visor of their county for that purpose,
and of such size and shape as that,
when such separate papers or ballots
shall have been folded and placed
therein as above required, they may
be easily shaken up and about and
we'll mixed therein, and it shall be
the duty of the clerk of the court to
keep said jury box in his custody.
The said jury box shall be kept Sc
curely locked with three separate and
strong locks, each lock being different
and distinct from the other two and
requiring one key peculiar to itself in
order to be unlocked, and the key to
one of said three locks shall be kept
by the county auditor himself, the
key to another of said three locks by
the county treasurer himself, and the
key to the third of said locks by the
clerk of the court of common pleas
himself, so that no two of them shall
keep similar key or keys to the same
lock, and so that all three Of them
must be present together at the same
time and place in order to lock or un-
lock and open the said jury box. At the
same time they shall place in special
apartment in the said jury box
(which special apartment shall be
known as the tales box'') the names
of not less than 100 nor more than 400
of such Of the persons whose names
appear on said list as reside within five
miles of the court house, from which
tales box shall be drawn Jurors to snp-
ply Deficiencies arising from any cause
or emergency during the sitting of the
court. The names of persons placed
in said tales box shall be also placed
in the said jury box.
Sec. 4. That not less than ten nor
more than twenty days before any
regular or special term of the court
of general sessions for the present
year the county auditor, the county
treasurer and the clerk of the court
of common pleas of each, of the
counties in this State shall draw
from said jury box IS ballots contain
ing the names of IS persons, who
shall constitute the grand jury for the
present year. If there shall be drawn
from said jury box ballot contain
ing the name of any person not be-
tween the ages of 21 and IS years,
not of good moral character, or who
has died, or who has removed from the
county or is otherwise disqualified to
serve as juror, such ballot shall be
destroyed and such name struck from
the said list and another ballot
drawn; and so on until the 18 are
secured. Not less than 10 nor more
than 20 days before the first term Of
the court Of general sessions for
each year, the county auditor,
the county treasurer and the
clerk of the court of common pleas Of
each of said counties shall in like
manner draw from the said jury box
twelve ballots containing the names
of twelve persons, who with the six
persons drawn by lot Gas provided by
law from the grand jury Of the next
preceding year, shall constitute the
grand jury for that year. When said
grand jurors are drawn as aforesaid,
the clerk of the court of common
pleas shall Issue his writ of venire
facias for them, requiring their at
tendance on the first day of the ensu-
ing term of the court of general ses-
sions, and said writ of venire facias
shall be forthwith delivered to the
sheriff of the county: Provided, That
Is