The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1914-12-18
WILL JURY DUTY
FALL TO WOMEN

Will they be subject to jury service :?
There is a diversity of legal opin-
ion on the subject, says the Butte
Miner
Some curbstone opinions have it
since women have been given the
ballot they must assume responsible
ties of jury service. Others declare
that in view of the specific provisions
OF the law limiting jury service to
male citizens over the age of 21 and
under 70 who have resided in the
state one year and the county 80 days,
and whose names appear on the last
assessment role, women are not COM
petent to serve as jurors.
The only change in the constitution
the adoption of equal suffrage has
made is found in section 2, chapter1,
which formerly read: every male
person of the age of q years possess
ing the following qualifications shall
be entitled to vote at all general
elections" ETC., and which now reads:
Every person of the age of p
years." etc. The word "male" has
merely been eliminated from this par
ticular section of the constitution and
no section of the statues was amended.
The law with reference to compet-
el2cy for jury service says that every
male citizen of the age of Fl years
ard not more than 70 who shall have
been resident of the state for one
year and Of the county 90 days before
being selected, who possesses his nat
ural faculties and intelligence and is
not decripit OF crippled and knows
English, and whose name is on the
assessment roles is competent to
serve as grand or trial juror.
Lawyers who contend that women,
even when granted the franchise, are
noo eligible to jury service, point to
the specific provision of the law,
''every male citizen in support of
their contention.
On the other hand those who insist
that women are subject to jury ser
vice declare that in California and
Washington, suffrage states, where
similar amendment was made to the
constitution, it has been held that it
is optional with women who is a
citizen and taxpayer whether or not
she shall serve.
"Picture if you can a jury con-
posed solely of women, ,''said a law
yer who asked for curbstone opinion
ON the subject yesterday. "Appearl
al?ces would count for everything.
If one party to the litigation hap
pened to be better looking than the
other, the chances are very good the
best looking of the two would win. 1t
is a pet bit of feminine logic to reas-
Oh his looks are against him. OF 'he
doesn't look like that sort of a man.
Pursuit of such line of reasoning
would be very liable to entail mis-
carriage of justice, especially incon-
venience that the majority of women
would very seriously resent. There
might be few who would assume the
responsibilities of juror voluntarily,
but it's safe bet that the majority
would dodge them every time.
Imagine the predicament of II
women trying case forced to remain
in jury box listening to testimony,
argument and instructions, with the
hands of the clock creeping towards
600 o'clock, hubby's predicament at
600 o'clock, with wife in court and
the breakfast and dinner dishes still
piled high in the sink.
Mrs. Juror interrupts to announce
that she is going to knock off for the
day-going home to cook hubby's sup
per. Of course she can't leave. 1t
isn't the custom of courts to adjourn
or recess and reconvcne to suit the
convenience of the individual, so Mrs. |
Juror is told that it can't be done.
Then tears, confusion, recess or
chaos"
AS to women's right to hold office
now that she has the franchise, there
can be but little doubt. Although
section 10 of article TX of the con-
stitution says that "wonen shall be
eligible to hold the Office of county
superintendent of schools" the sec
says: "Any person qualified to vote
at general elections and for state Off
GERS in this state shall be eligible to
any Office therein, except as other
wise provided by the constitution"
just as the word "male" in the con-
stitution kept women from voting in
Montana until it was eliminated by
vote of the people, it exempts them
from liability to military service, for