Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-07
STATE BAR URGES
9-JUROR vERDICTS
Lawyers Favor Change In Law
Requiring Unanimous DeCiS-
ion in Criminal Cases
PR0GRESSIVES IN CONTROL
Conservatives Oppose Alteration
of Laws at Opening Session
of California Lawyers
PRoGREssIvEs IN CONTROL

A recommendation to change the jury
system of California by making YER
dict returnable by a majority of nine
members of the jury In both civil and
criminal cases Instead of the unani-
nous verdict as required at present in
criminal cases, passed after heated
wrangle in which the progressiVes
were charged with pandering to the
muckrake magazines and accused Of
breaking down the time-honored safe
guard of the individual" constituted
the chief accomplishment of the inaug-
ural session of the annual metieng of
the California Bar association held
yesterday in Blanchard hall
The decision to submit to the legis-
lature the recommendation to amend
the constitution providing for the re-
turn of verdict by three-fourths Of
jury was passed by practically a
four-fifths vote, forty voting in favor
of the amendment and twelve against.
The vote followed the rejection by the
convention of the proposition to call a
constitutional convention and placed
the members of the bar of the state
on record as favoring the securing Of
forms by amendment rather than to
undertake the entire remodellng of the
organic law.
The opening session was called to
ing by Curtis H. Lindley of San Fran
cisco, president of the association, with
about 100 members from all parts Of the
state In attendance. The important
work, however, was not reached until
the afternoon when q few preliminary
skirmishes brought out clear line of
division between the so-called PRO
gressiVe" side Of the convention, led
by the San Francisco delegation, and
lowed the lead of Grove L. Johnson
of Sacramento, father OF Governor
elect Hiram Johnson.
FACTIONS LINE UP
The latter faction bitterly fought the
three-fourths verdict proposal and the
argument brought out lively tilt be-
tween Grove L. Johnson and Judge
Bledsoe of san Bernardino, who de-
clared himself in favor of jury of
seven instead of twelve members.
"You boast that the three-fourths
verdict will cheaper the cost of prose-
cutions," said Johnson. MY, has it
come to the point that we are measur-
ing the rights of the individual by
what 1t costs to give him justice.
suppose Mr.. Bledsoe would favor a
majority verdict from jury of seven"
Il have given you no right to sup
pose that" retorted Judge Bledsoe,
"but I want to say now that you
have brought the question squarely up,
that I am emphatically In favor of
majority rule in all branches of gov
ernment. That is the very founda-
ton of our institutions"
Frank H. Short of Fresno opposed
the measure, declaring that the unant-
nous verdict represented the best ideas
in republican government.
I'VE are in danger of breaking down
the safeguard which from time imme-
mortal has been thrown around the In
dividual If we pass this recommen-
dation," he said.
Judge E. A. BeIcher, who said that
the public uneasiness in regard to lax
ness in criminal courts was because
rich defendants had been able tc buy
their way to liberty; H Lane. Charles
s. Wheeler, o. X. Gushing and Warren
Olney, all of San Francisco, spoke in
favor of the amendment Mr.. Short of
Fresno asked for a division when the
vote on the proposition was taken and
said that If the matter had been pre-
sented at the morning session when
more members were In attendance the
measure would have been defeated.
Another sharp division between the
San Francisco delegation and repre-
from other sections came on