New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05
W omen Lawyers
Want Women Jurors
I'm New York State
Voluntary Service Only Is
Provided in Bill To Be
Presented in Albany by
Brooklyn Bar Association

Brooklyn Bar Association
Should women serve on juries ?
Yes, most assuredly yes!" declare
the members of the Women's Bar As
ISOLATION of Kings County, who have
drafted & bill to be submitted to the
Legislature this year, qualifying women
to serve as jurors. Among the active
champions of the bill are Helen P.
Mccormick, after whose name is writ
ten Deputy District Attorney of Kings
County, and who is also chairman of
the committee in charge; Miss Ida
Schleider, chairman of the committee
on practice and procedure; Jeanette
Brill, chairman of the committee on
ways and means, and Amy Wren, ex-
officio member and president Of the
association.
1t is said that the lack of any ade-
quate provision regarding special ex-
emptions for women proved the
stumbling block of a similar bill pre-
scented last year by Assemblyman John
r. shannon. This year clause has
been added (subdivision 16 of the
Judiciary law covering Wemptions)
providing that any woman desiring to
De excused from jury service may
clam exemption by signing a written
or printed notice thereof Voluntary
and not mandatory service is provided
Tor. 1T is believed that this clause
Will eliminate much of the opposition
which has come from upstate rural
districts
Deputy District Attorney Mccormick
IN an interview yesterday pointed out
that of the twelve states in which
women have full suffrage only six
permit women to serve on juries and
In only one, Idaho, is this service com
pulsory.
Even there the judges will accept
pleas Tor exemption and relieve them
of the duty. California, Nevada. Kan
sas, Utah and Washington are the five
other states where women may serve.
IN oregon, Wyoming, Arizona Colo
RADIO, Montana and New York the word
male still defines the qualifications
of juror.
Between the dates of 1884 and 1887
mixed Juries were not unusual in
Washington territory. In February,
1887, the Supreme Court held that the
Suffrage act was void and with this
rullng the woman juror disappeared
from the courts in Washington until
November, 1910, when the Constitu-
tlonal amendment granting suffrage to
women was approved by The people of
that state. Judge Rhea NJ. Whitehead
of Seattle states that from IS per cent
to 20 per cent of women summoned
clam exemption from jury service, but
adds that though she is not familiar
with the percentage OF men jurors who
eNaae july service she has no doubt
that the percentage is as great if not
greater.
An altman jury is rarity in
Seattle, Tacoma and Spokane" said
Miss Mccormick, land it is unusual to
find jury in any of the Superior
Court Departments that has not from
: TO women serving"
The Sentimental Men
The fear that women will be too
much influenced by sentimentalism.
Miss Mccormick thinks, has been given
undue Importance and is not the bug
pear many men seem to think it.
The sentimentality Of the average
Jury composed of men is common
knowledge when it comes to a ques-
ton OF convicting a woman, she says,
and 1T is fact that no matter how
cold-oIooded the crime may be it is
verdict where a woman is the defend
ant.
st will be interesting to note the
women Jurles' attitude toward the
woman defendant" continued Miss Nc
Cormlck, in comparison with the SEN
Immortality displayed toward offenders
OF the opposite sex by the average
male jury"
She believes that with the advent of
the woman Jurors a factor to be con-
sidered is what new psychological ele-
ment they will bring to the jury sys-
tenn.
1--WE are all familiar with the much
discussed instinct woman's intui-
ton" said Miss Mccormick. Gas a
sex, woman are considered not logical
1t is alleged that we do not reason
but reach conclusions by the shorter
method Ct intuition. There are re-
Wanted logic of man was unable to
reach a satisfactory solution Of prob
lem, but the intuition of the woman
successfully achieved what reason
could not
Jury service will help to make wom-
en- more Intelligent voters and more
patriotic citizens, Miss Mccormick be-
lieyes. "They will see and understand
the safeguards which our law has
drawn about the liberty of its citizens,
they will better understand and appre-
/ Gate the privilege of trial by jury,
free press, free speech, freedom of re-
: llgion and all those precious things so
treasured by English speaking people. I"
Eighteenth Century Attitude
Miss Amy Wren, president of the
J association, says in regard to women
on .juries:
"To judge from the enthusiasm dis
, played by the different women's organ
/ lzations last winter when they unani-
mously indorsed the idea of women
: Jurors, women are more eager to serve
than the men are to have them serve
! Our association decided to have no spe-
! clal exemptions for women other than
that women with small children might
ask for exemption; but in talking she
matter over with men we found an
! eighteenth century attitude on their
part In regard to the matter, and so,
IN Difference to the wishes Of the men
whom we must ask to pass the bill
FOR us through the Legislature, we
nave been forced to make the service
elective on the part of the women and
not mandatory.
There seemed to be fceling on
the part Of the men that women in
rural districts might find it inconven-
tent to leave their homes for week
ana live in hotel at the county seat
"hilc doing jury duty. NV experience
upsta'c' however, has been that the
; terms OF the court are held in the win
ter' and that most Of the men attend
TRIALS az people in the CITY go ~ thn
hf