Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-01-15

and not what the facts established
Lack of adequate compensation and
fear of making enemies and losing
business is the reason why business
men do not desire to serve on the
jury"
Better Compensation.
can increase in the pay of jurymen
would increase the efficiency of the
men serving on the jury" stated
Clyde G. Sparks "a mans vocation
does not count. Just so they are
twelve honest men. Business men do
serve, but they object to doing so be-
known. | believe big change should
be made in the challenging of the
jury. l think in cases brought against
municipal corporation, taxpayers of
the city ought not to be excluded from
sitting on the jury. A man can serve
on a jury in an action against the
state, and he is taxpayer to the
state and | can see no difference why
a taxpayer of the city cannot serve
on an action brought against the city,
the same as state taxpayer against
the state"
| Would Elect Jurymen.
81 have often thought that the pres
ent jury system might be improved, y
said R. R. Ramsell. "If all jurymen
were elected for a specified time, at
a proper salary, to act as judges OF
the facts in all cases by them heard
during their term of office, as the
judges proper are now elected to act
as judges of the law only. BY no
means allow women on jury.
Business men, whose time per day
is worth more to him than jury
mans fees, naturally exercise their
right to refuse to serve on jury, be-
cause the code of Iowa permits them
to SO refuse when his own interests
will be materially injured by his at
tendance" as a juryman in court Elk
cept in crisis man naturally puts
personal good ahead of the welfare or
the state.
LAS a general rule. the judges of the
district court have little discretion as
to whether he will excuse juryman
or insist upon his acting. So long as
the laws of Iowa excuse a man from
serving his country, because his bust
ness will suffer thereby, the Judge
must excuse him if the juryman says
1t will suffer. When all other reasons
fail all man need do is to say your
honor my business will suffer if I
leave it for a month"; and the judge
must excuse him II he so desires.
would not the simplest of all rem
edies be to have the citizens Of state
by choice, so conscientious and parti-
otto, that they would give a few
months of their lives towards the ad-
ministration of justice, without com
pensation if necessary"
Duty to Country.
ut is the mans duty to serve on the
jury as he is serving his country just
the same as if he would shoulder gun
and march to war; according to the
opinion of another attorney. "The jury
is part of a system ascertaining
rights of parties and no man should
shirk jury duty. The pay should not
be consideration of the jurymen, as
he is serving his country. Still the
compensation ought to be enough to
pay the men fair wages. am of the
opinion that the judges are too lenient
In excusing business men from jury
duty. They should be made to serve if
they do not have good excuse.
Their wages should be the same and
there should be no discrimination. If
the man is drawing a large salary he
ought to have enough love for his
country to serve on the jury"
Would Welcome Change.
STTn1nr ha Ion, 10
hard to better jury unless one could
| work upon human nature and improve
| it," was the way one prominent
lawyer put the matter of changing the
present form of selecting jurymen
| There was at one time" he continued
"a movement on foot to have the four
judges of this district appoint jury
commission, the jurists using their
very best judgment in the selection OF
the commissioners. These men could
take the poll books and pick out good
staple business men or business farm
ers, who would be sufficiently stern tc
serve all parties interested in legal
suits. There are two great troubles
at the present time.
"The first is that business men and
business farmers do not sit on juries
and the second is that there Is not
enough good stern men selected to fur
nish juries. The great trouble Is thai
the men Of the county, who would
serve as the best jurors, are never
chosen, or if selected, get excused.
do not believe Wapello county mel
are any more prejudiced against cor
porations than the men of other coun
ties in the state, but for that matter
no corporation enters a suit without al
most feeling certain that a Judgment
| be it small or large will be returned
against them. A corporation mus
present undeniably good proof Of cleal
bill if they would win a case"