Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-11-10
vol. LxxxHI.-NO. 2sz.
TUESDAY EVENING. NOVEMBER 10. 1914.
JURY ACT COMPLICATIONS.


Once more the chancellor-commssloner-s
Jury act thrusts its incongruites before the courts
and the public with all their elements of doubt and
uneasiness.
It is queer old law at the best Its provisions
are conflicting. and while there nothing really
bothersome about it during the first year of its
istence, it having been easy matter to select a
commissioner Of opposite political party to the
one to which the sheriff belonged. the changes
brought about through the election of Tuesday last
and which go effect today in various counties OF
the State, alter the aspect of affairs considerably.
The law provides that the chancellor shall ap-
point the jury commissioner. and for term of one
year. This was done, each commissioner being
named to serve until February II, 1915.
There is no condition in the act setting forth that
the commissioner shall until his successor is
appointed but he may be superseded at the will of
the chancellor.
Right on the heels of this provision embargo
is placed upon Democratic commissioner serving
with a Republican sheriff. vice The law
further provides list of grand and petit Jurors
shall be prepared thirty days in advance of the
ing of Circuit Court terms and then 1t goes on to
say that twenty-five days prior to the opening Of court
q certified list of Jurors must be filed with the SUI
preme Court justice and the county clerk, one to
each The thrty-day arrangement has been followed.
December Is the date on which the December
court term will begin. That is twentyeight days from
today and il commissioners in certain counties
are dropped automatically with the entrance to office
of shers of different political faiths, they will not
be commissioners at the twenty-hve-day limit pro-
scrption 1t might be conended that juries drawn
by them or certified by them not valid.
This is one point of serious danger. Lawyers are
prone to advantage of techncaties and attack
ing the validity of jures is favorite method of soe
when cases go against their clients.
Chancellor Walker holds to the view that all diff
fculties may be surrounded and announces that on
December he will select commissioners in every
case where the political complexion of the sherihs
Office has undergone change.
Commissioners who do not care to resign, he says,
will be superseded.
1t appears from information given ont by the
chancellor at Trenton today that the jury commits
sioner In Essex county and the commissioner in Cum
berand county left nothing to the imagination or to
general Interpretation of the law. To their way of
thinking they went out of Office with the swearing
in of the sheriff In their respective countless and will
not figure in possible future embarrassment over
questions as to the legality of uries drawn by them
So far as Edward E. Gnichtel, the commissioner OF
Jurors from county and the commissioner from
Cumberland are concerned 1t must be said that they
pursued wise course, far their personal status
is concerned
Should the chancellor decree that they should re-
main In office until December l, to be available
in an emergency, and be fully justified In acting,
each may continue to serve, hut as the situation
stands at present their designations in the hands
of the chancellor and to be effective today.