The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1918-12-28
Ilcnwcrth Satisfied
FORMER UNITED STATES MS.
rVICT JlDGE GEO. DO>WORTu;

fkl(I IL tNsE tfsO. i"NNOHIh.
IN. Jury list In the United States
nssrict court is made up In accord.
,pee with the provision Of the act
= congress. which enacts that a
CIV commission shall consist Of the
s<rk cg the court and a citizen OF
! aiffercnt political party. dcslgnat.
q ny the Judge,
4 don't believe there il anything
srong with this system. and | think
nr<r.ence has shown that the Jur.
srS in the federal court are as in.
r,llxent. as unsclfish and as FRYE
ron bias as jurors selected under
AN ether system. Nothing human
King perfect. this system. and
every other system. fails 10 work
vsi at times.
n often happens that criticism al.
r~esed against any governmental
,ctcy Is based on a particular Incl
<at. and that on examination. In
ne light Of broad and general
sixw. would show the criticism 20 be
vasounded remember an incident
he [. ). district court AZ Tacoma.
A lawyer. whose business consist
a largely in the prosecution OF per
sral injury suits. had a run OF hard
nrk losing two or three cases at the
urse term Of court lie thereupcn
ansulted the judge. and told him
nat the jury commissioner were
vrsIuticed against the class OF cases
rth which he was chiefly con-
s~rred. and that they selected jurors
presumably having sentiments op
pss@d to the position Of the plaintiff
4 such cases.
The iud<. gave the attorney per
ml.sien 70 examine the entire jury
1T on file- and told him that II such
state Of affairs existed. he. the
Iaaxe. would see that II was speed.
Is terminated.
And ater informed the judge that
y considered the list a fair one.
and hat he had no further criticism
% make
This shows how fair.minded
hxyer may become temporarily In
xsnzns over situation which. on
sccl elaboration. he may find unob-
iectionable.
While IL Is very likely that time
ard experience may develop inn
rrovement. l do not believe there Is
crying need for a material change
st this time. in the manner OF So
iectinx Jurors in the United States
court"
staae Csarts Better. lie Says
CORPORATION COUNSEL WAL
TER y. MEIER: The jury system
has long heen an essential part Of
the Anglo Saxon Jurisprudence. II
vas established to obtain an Impair
nal determination OF facts In dispute.
and the aim underlying the method
Of selecting jurors has always been
to guarantee impartiaiify.
The present method OF selecting
jurors in our superior court. that H..
By The clerk. biindfold-d. in the pres
sncs OF the Judge In open court. from
Int containing the names OF all the
psssons IN the county who are quail
led to act az jurors. il calculated to
avod even a suspicion Of Partially.
II would seem 10 be advisable that
Jurors in the federal courts ought TO
b selected in some similar manner.
4 there Is thereby created In the pub
sc mind a greater faith In the judy
n<nt Of the Jurors upon the matters
subuitted to them
Saunders' Opinion
United STATES DISTRICT At.
109NEY ROBERT {. SAUNDERS:
There is always room for improve
INIT
But ~ 20 changing the federal
1stem OF selecting jurors. no that
would correspond with the state
s5stem. believe II would be unwise.