The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-13
Adopt Nine Jurors in Civil Law
Resolution.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
All Other New Officers Are To-
peka Men.
Eye Witness Testimony May
Have Little Value"

The legislature will be asked to
pass a bill for the relief of the con-
gested judicial districts, by an amend
ment to the state constitution. This is
according to the resolution adopted
at the closing business session of the
twenty-eighth meeting of the Kansas
State Bar association at the supreme
court rooms Thursday afternoon.
Originally the report of the committee
on the subject suggested that the leg
islature itself be asked to give power
TO the judges to interchange cir
cults so that when judges
of certain district had lit
tie to do they could help with the
work in other districts. However,
Judge Carver held that this might not
be regarded as constitutional by the
supreme court He suggested as an
amendment to the resolution that the
legislature be asked to amend sec
ton six of the constitution to meet
the demand. After some attempt to
postpone the matter to the next an
nual bar meeting the resolution was
adopted as amended. S. H. Allen was
chairman on the committee on this
matter. The section of the state con-
stitution referred reads in part: Dis
trict courts shall have such jurisdic-
ton in their respective districts as
may be provided by law
The proposed amendment reads:
of shall have such Jurisdiction
throughout the state as may be pro-
vided by law"
Senator T. A. Noftzger, who has IA
vored this measure was on hand and
"barked" loudly for it's passage.
The legislature will also be asked
for a bill for amending the constitu-
ton to allow civil cases to be tried by
nine jurors instead of twelve. A reso-
luton to this effect was adopted af-
Il. H. q fNsf
of the committee of which r. L. King
was chairman, stated that "a consti-
tutional amendment is the most adj
visable and safest course to pursue in
effecting the desired change"
If the bills mentioned pass both
houses they will be submitted to the
people at the next general election,
which is the procedure in making
amendments to the state constitution.
A resolution was introduced by j.
B. Larimer and adopted by the aSso-
citation, asking that the senators and
members in congress from this state
be requested to secure the passage by
congress at it's present session an act
creating an additional Judicial district
in the state of Kansas. 1t passed with
no opposition.
The following officers were elected
by unanimous adoption of the report
of the nomination committee:
President. w. E. Hutchinson, Garden
City; vice president, v. z. McFarland,
Topeka; secretary, d. A. Valentine,
Topeka; treasurer, j. G. Slonecker,
Topeka.
Executive committee-R. A. Burch.
Salina, chairman; Benjamin w. Scan
drett, Topeka; ]. D. Houston. Wichita;
J. ]. Jones, Chanute and H. A. Russell,
Blue Rapids.
Professor McKeever's Paper.
'grhat the testimony of a socalled
eye witness to the commission of a
tragical act of crime may have little
value, is fact that has recently been
very satisfactorily established, and
modern psychology with its expert
mental methods. must be given credit
for having brought about a reversal OF
traditional opinion on the subject"
This was the key note of an address
made by William A McKeever, pro-
fessor of Psychology at K. S. A. c.
His subject was Psychology as Re
lated to Testimony" He proved his
point by describing a play given for
the purpose before twenty-five mem
bers of the K. S. A. G. senior class. The
scene was in the nature of a holdup in
which three people took part. A BIZ
cycle wrench instead of a revolver
was used. However, this was de-
scribed as a pistol by many of the
audience and other inaccuracicN of
their observation were revealed in an
swers to written questions concerning
the play.
whatever may be said as to the re-
suits of this little experiment" said
Professor McKeever, at is my opinion
that it represented very satisfactorily
a true and natural situation, and that
the testimony of the eye witnesses
were no less and no more accurate
than if the scene had been enacted
upon the stage of real life.''