Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-14
TIE Pay OF JURORS
IMPoRTAET RULING By DISTRICT
styksxE COURT.
Each Member Of Panel Must Qualify
Befere Being Entitled to
l9mpensati0n.

District OF Columbia today made a ruling
that will RESULT in an enormous saving TO
the governr9anta 1t is that hereafter only
qualified jurors shall receive pay as sueh.
The practice has been to pay talesmen at
the. rate of s. day part of day Tor
attendance at court whether they were ac-
cepted as jurors Or not.
Justice Pritchard. In Criminal Court NO.
L. today made announcement OF the ruling.
The matter has been discussed with the
other justices of the court. and 1t Is I'M
derstood tie same rule Will apply IN erimi-
nal Court No. . and Circuit Court Nos. l
ana 2; In which Jury trials are held.
The law gocerning the matter reads:
Jurors fees--for actual attendance at
court, So day during such ATTENDANCE
The justices take the view thar JURORS
fees does not mean that persons suIthn sn-
ed to court as possible Jurors. bur VINO TOT
any reason do not qualify as s0cn, snah
be entitled to fees.
AZ an instance of the expense the govern
rent has been put to IN the past IN I'M
paneling juries the regular panel on duty
in Criminal Court, No. 1. was exhausted
by challenges last Monday before We've
men satisfactory to both the prosecution
and the defense were secured to pass upon
the question of the guilt or Innocence OF
James NJ. A.%WatSon, accused OF emDeE
cling about $4,000 from funds in the keep
ing Of the auditor of the Daserict OF eo
lumbia. s9
The court directed that eighty additional
talesmen be summoned to report TUESDAY
morning. Each of those eighty men "as
paid fee OF 8, although only thirteen Oh
them were called. The remaining sixty
seven received 81 each merely for proceed
ing to the city hall and remaining there
less than one-half hour. Only rev OF tne
thirteen who were called were acceptea.
Therefore, had the ruling announced today
been in effect two days ago. the saving 10
the government would have amounted to
more than 500 in that case alone.
No Service, No Fee.
It is the rule that persons summoned as
possible jurors to ask to be excused, and
although such requests from many of them
are complied with. they have invariably
been paid one days Fee But, as stated,
such will not occur hereafter. Persons
summoned as possible jurors. who do not
qualify, and therefore are not accepted as
such, will receive no compensation for the
time consumed in making the journey TO
the city hall and for the time spent there
in obedience to the courts summons.
The opinion is unanimous about the city
hall that the difficulty that has always been
experienced in securing men for jury Serv-
ice will be materially increased by the rui-
ing of the Justices and that talesmen
! knowing that Sthey will not be paid for
journeying to the city hall unless they
qualify as jurors, will make every effort to
evade the summons.
The ruling was effective this morning
Three talesRheh were summoned into Grim
inal Court No. I. as it was desired to fill
the vacancy on stf1e regular panel of that
court caused by the committing of Juror
Arthur L. 10rrfsan to Jail yesterday for
| contempt. One OF the three qualified and
was accepted. The two other talesmen
were not needed, so they were excused.
| Much to tins sHrsrise of all concerned. the
court instructed Clerk Smith not to pay
| them for their attendance.
Forfeited Recognizances.
| Justice Pritchard today. made another
| important announcement from the bench.
| He instructed Assistant United States At
| torney Peyton Gordon that it was his desire
| that the Enited Estates attorneys Office
| should take steps at once and vigorously
to collect f9rgeited recognizances 1t has
come to the knowlege of the court, Jus
| tice Pritchardg explained, that although a
| large number Of recegnizances in criminal
| cases had been forfeited practically moth
| ing had been done in the matter of collect
| ing under theE same.
Assistant United States Attorney Gordon
| suggestion to United States Attorney Beach
| immedia tely.
! Another statement of interest was made
| from the bench by Justice Pritchard in
| Criminal Court No. 1 today just before
| he sentenced John Fields. colored to peni-
Tertiary Imprisonment for one year and
| one day. The court declared
| II am determined to break up the prac-
| tiee of committing assaults with dangerous
| weapons in the District of Columbia and
| in order to do SO 1 must punish the Of
Tenders
| The statement was inspired by a request
| advanced by Attorney A. ". Scott that a
| jail sentence be imposed In the case of
| Fields. in view of the prisoners previous
| good record, and for other reasons. Fields
| was accused of committing an assault with
| dangerous weapon on William Johnson
March Il last