The Cairo bulletin., 1907-01-02
WANT HASTE IN
SELECTING JUR|ES
NEW BILL PREPARED MAKING
TALESMAN ELIGIBLE AFTER
THE MERIT TEST.
IDEAL JUROR is SOUGHT
BY Clause Barring Ex convicts and
otners--urge Special Lists to
Block Deiays--chaIIenue
Put Under Limit.

Put Under Limit.
1 Chicago, Jan. Ito reduce thn
time required for the selec ion III
juries in cases that have attracted
wide public attention and to prnvila
/ special jurors, who shall have ha II
examined as to their qualifications to
serve before they appear In the jury
box, Is the purpose OF bin that has
/ been drafted by d special COMMITTEES
appointed by the Civic federation.
and which will he introduced In the
general assembly.
The measure was prepared bv q
committee composed OF Howard @.
Sprogle, r. Allen Frost. Adoiph IA
than, Philip Stein and Keene H All
dington, representing the Civic fesl-
Grafton, the Chicago Bar association,
and the Chicag3 Law Institute, the
first draft OF the bin being made BY
Mr.. Sprogie.
The proposed act c0ntemplates eg
tending the power Of the Jury com
4 AiilaBkOl tiF AdttAa G3&tIt4 ahA &A tsfF
county board In other counties SO as
to enable them 70 select what ase
Anown in the bill as special jurors
and to interrogate rs to their coni
potency men summoned as such
special jurors. before sending them II
the court where they are expec IA 10
serve.
/ shea Case Is Cited.
in the pamphlet containing tha bill
sent ont BY the civic federation ret
erence Is made to the t'ElhUoieg
/ case" tried Ii 1905. In which the
selection Of jury occupied neatly
4 three months and cost some $4,000,
and the Shea case. where 4.716 tales
mon were examined before jury
fas secured, and which cost s55s ias
Fiff II declared sitas ~ enavsarsus4S III
the bill would make such delays III
securing a jnry impossible would ex
pedite Justice and recuce the cost Of
! litigation.
The bill provides thar the Jury conn
missioners shall select from the per-
sons qualified to serve as trial jurors.
in the county, such number Of special
Jurors as the Judge or judges aY the
courts OF record, or a majority OF
them shall from time 10 time direct.
The jury commissioners are e.npow
cred to cancel such selections OF
special Jurors, or 10 strike the
names of any SO selected from the
list and to replace them with other
names.
Must Run Gantlet.
No person shall be selected to act
as such special juror until after he
shall have been examined by the jury
commissioners. or one of them. as to
his fitness and qualifications to act as
special juror. Any person sum
moned for the purpose Is required by
the bin to appear before the jury cont
mission and answer truthfully the
questions put 10 him touching bis fit-
ness to serve, or a. 10 the fitress
of any her person so summoned and
about whom he may be questioned
In case of failure 10 attend or refusal
TO answer the court may compel at.
tendance and responses. by attach
ment or otherwise. in the same man
ne as If the juror were giving cyi
dence before the court.
IDEAL Juror Is Sought
The character Of The examination
. to which the special jurors will BE-
put by The jury commissioners can
be seen from the provisions Of section
. Of the bill which reads:
NO person shall be selected as
such special juror who is by law dis
/ qualified or exempt from service a a
trial juror or who has been convicted
of criminal offense. or found guilty
Of fraud or other misconduct by The
Judgment of any civil court, or who
possesses such conscientious opinions
with regard 70 the death penalty as
would preclude his finding a defend
ant guilty II the crime charged be
punishable with death or who doubts
his ability TO lay aside an opinion or
impression formed from newspaper
reading or otherwise. or 10 render an
impartial verdic, upon the evidence
uninfuenced by such opinion or inn
pres sion, or whose opinion as 10 cir
cumstantiai evidence is such as would
prevent his finding verdict OF
guilty upon such evidence. or who
.ayows such a prejudice againss any
particular defense 20 q criminal
charge as would prevent h.s giving
fair and impartial trial upon the
merits 81 such defense. or who avovs
that ne cannot in al cases give 70 q
defendant Nho fails % testify as
witness in his own behalf the fnil
benefit Of the statutory provision
that zrch Defendants neg.eet OF -
fasal % testify as a witness in his
own behalf shaH not create sny pre-
=. ---..-.. r.a-.. 1