Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-07-24
SERVING ON JURIES

Judge WoOdDrldgeS reDuke 10 InOSe IL ld W "PPN
for jury duty when summoned is well merited under the jury
svsfeu that exists. the trouble is with the system, And
this applies more, perhaps, to the county courts than to the
district courts.
The present jury system is a relic of past ages and is de-
cidedly out of keeping with conditions as they exist To-Day. II
the sole object is to render justice, what about the Jus'lce 70
the man who may be called away from his business causing
him to lose more, perhaps, than the amount involved III IL HI
igation which he is considering?
Things move much more rapidly today than they ola when
the present jury system was established. uonunnohS huo
which men work are decidedly different. Pressing business
engagements, constant personal attention TO ones WORK Keen
competition and other features today make it a real sacrifice
for many men to give up q whole day, sometimes q whole week,
sitting in a court room hearing lawyers argue over what, In
many instances, are comparatively trivial matters oi'en a
juror would willingly pay the whole amount involved In the It'll
CATION rather than spend the time required sitting in the court
foom listening to the testimony.
The fact that a man serving on the jury may have given up
important business engagements or that his business is suf-
fering as a result of his absence is given little consideration by
the court, as q rule. Lawyers are allowed TO take all ~ Cme
they want in presenting their arguments and in practlclng-elo-
cuGon as if their own time was all that was to be considered.
In the case Of the county courts, the man drawn for petit
Jury duty is on call for three months and many a good busl-
ness has been started on the road to ruin because of PERSONAL
neglect caused by. the requirements made upon the proprietor
for Jury duty. Day after day he has had to go to New Bruins
wick, often without even being called upon to serve. Jurymen
are kept waiting hour after hour for the purpose of starting an
other trial late IN Jno Gay Willie le idW9oo III 1O Wiz "Doo'
to end crate to their hearts content utterly unconcerned ABOUT
anyone elses affairs, often causing the next case to go over IN
fill tbenext day after all. They can do this because they nave
the protection of the court. The juryman is liable TO q line OF
IMPRISONMENT for contempt if he should impose upon the
courts time as the court often imposes upon his time, but IN
his case he has no redress.
Courts we must have and the constitution guarantees a
man d right of trial by jury, but just as the district courts have
been created to supplant the constitutional office OF justice OF
the peace. SO some method, even an amendment to the consul
tuition. if necessary, should be devised for making it possible
for the Judge to decide all cases in small cause courts, such as
the district court, doing away with the jury all together, but
giving the litigant the right to appeal to a higher court should
he be dissatisfied with the judges decision, where he may have
d Jury if he desires. A competent judge, whose reputation is
at stake in the matter of law and equity, can be depended upon
10 render fair and impartial decision from the testimony even
better than q jury made up of the average laymen. To do away
with iuries in courts of small causes would be a saving of much
valuable time for q great majority Of people and 1t would not
impair justice in the least, rather, all persons considered, it
would greatly aid it.
AS for the county courts, the time for jury service should
be greatly shortened for the individual. A jury panel could be
divided, as it is done in some counties already, SO that q man
will know that he will be liable for call to jury duty only dur
ing q certain brief period. He can usually arrange his affairs
for that length of time In order to serve the state.
Courts must be able to function and it is highly desirable
that the best class of men serve as jurymen when jurles are
necessary. 1t is also essential that there shall be the utmost
respect for the courts. We are convinced, however, that by
undermining the jury system much of the evils now complained
of---and there is considerable justice in the complaint--w would
be removed.
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