The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1909-07-02
GheDrmorrM-s Star
caiufsaf Giw DEfrcfs

uauHat8fl sast
Judge 4 A. q Campbell, eminent
ag % luflst, whose fame Is not confined
tp hIs own state. Mississippi. At the
last meeting ~ che state iaf Asso.
citation ~ West Point read % paper
fapIctc with ineisiyo comments On tbe
defects IN the Law and practice ~ nd
mlnistefiug criminal Justice IN Missis.
sippi and pith astutc suggestions
boifing m their bcttetmont
The paper is 40 timely and peril
ncnt, n would be we'll fgf the people
generally and especially those who
aspire t0 become members ~ the
State Legislature 20 read and weigh
" we'll ~ that when they shall be
called upon 10 leglslatc Tor the people
" the state they Will be In n well
prepared position with this code OF
Judge Campbell In mind, 30 act up 60
the full measure Of the popular de-
mand made for change for the
better administration ~ tho criminal
laws, so that the ylolators may be
Justly reached and punished.
Passing over many Of the excellent
recommendation offered by Judge
Campbell, the non legal reader viii be
struck by the force OF some that seem
TO be brilliant from their very sim
pliclty, u something which Is found
in the mind OF every observing citizen.
His suggestions as TO the horrors OF
Jury service, those offensive require
ments which force every reliable cIti'
zen to shirk service as Juror, were
very pointed,
The practice OF loading down the
court with costs by the appearance al
court OF men reporting to serve al
special venire men merely TO get tn,
days pay and mileage is Justly con
dcmned,
Who has ever heard Of pistol tote
being prosecuted aud punished for {
violation OF the law against carrying
concealed weapons, after he has beer
acquitted on the plea OF self.defens,
after being engaged in some shooting
niYray9 IL has gotten so that maj
who shoots TO XIII fellow man get,
of lighter than IL he had been triet
simply for carrying concealed wca
.pons. Judge Campbell severely con
dennis this mode of procedure.
Alabama long ago deprived justice
OF the peace of the right and power 0
criminal Jurisdiction where courts o
competent Jurisdiction were accessi
BILE. This system had SO degenerate,
into n mere matter OF bringing bust
ness and fees TO the courts OF the jus
tices of the peace that Alabama brok
up the rottenness by correcting tn
evil, Judge Campbell makes timel
suggestions along this line,
Federal judges sit as law and equit
and criminal judges, II seems that
better system than the present sys
TEN might be devised for Mississippi
There Is one recommendation mad
by Judge Campbell which will NEE
with strong opposition. II Is the pre-
posal TO permit ten men TO render
verdict 10 capital cases, There woul
be a possible evil ahead In the ador
ton OF jury system OF this kind
This practically would be equiyalen
to a revolution Ia the jury system
which once changed for the purpos
OF conviction might ilnally end !
adopting majority system In th
Jury box, leaving II to seven men I
say whether or not a man is guilty Q
Innocent. 1t is not always the stnt
born one or two men on jury VIII
are wrong. Ignorance and corruptio
In juries do more harm than the stul
born man who righteously believe
that he Is right. The elimination {
ignorance, in a measure, may be co
rected. The corrupt juror is 10 /
found everywhere, but his presence
jury is for evil; II often takes a
obstinate and stubborn Juror to OF
set the evil OF both ignorance an
corruption, II the effect and I'll
(. result OF the one stubborn ma
against the other eleven could /
accurately completed and analyze
the possibilities are that the weigh
of the balance OF justice would swim
60 the favor, from high moral view
poiat, OF the one stubborn Juror.
was the hictum OF that noted lawy,
81 the United States Senate, Senate
Edmunds, that the minority opinio
of the United States Supreme Cou
was oitener right than the majorit
Changing the jury system 10 me,