Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-20
WOMEN ON JUR|ES
IN D. c. BROUGHT
Up AS QUESTION
District Code at Present Bars
Them From Duty in
Courts.

Shall we have women jurors in
Washington?
This question is likely in the near
future to attract the thoughtful con-
sideration of jurists, lawyers. liti-
giants and women generally. Mixed
juries are rather common in some Of
the western states, and recently in IL
linois Jury of twelve women return
ed a verdict against a jealous wife,
who attacked another woman. with
whom the complainant's husband was
discovered eating ice cream. But
women have never served on juries in
Washington.
Now that we have a woman Com
missioner assisting in the civil gov
eminent Of the Capital of the Nation.
a woman judge in the Juvenile Court
and a feminine member OF the citys
rent commission. the question why
should we not have women jurors
forces itself on the attention.
Code Bars Them.
The District code. however. limits
service on juries in the criminal and
civil courts to good and lawful men"
Section 215 of the code under the
heading qualifications of jurors
reads: No person shall be competent
to act as a juror unless he be citi-
zen Of the United States. a resident of
tue DlSlTlCI Ol oNcI l"thsy
one and under sixty-five years of age.
able to read and write and to under
stand the English language. and
good and lawful man. who has never
been convicted of a felony or mis-
demeanor involving moral turpitude."
The Justices of the District Supreme
Court in general term today directed
the Jury commission to summon 500
talesmen to report in court October D
for service on the grand and petit
JurieS. Under the limitation of the
code the commission will continue to
place in the jury box the names of
men only, and no women will be
called for the October term.
when the suggestion of the posi-.
bility of calling upon the women OF
Washington for the duty of jury
service was made to Justice Gould,
who has been selected by his assoc
ciates to qualify the October Juries'
he called attention to the Sex llmlta-
Iion of the code and suggested thae
congressional action would prooapiy
be necessary before women couid De
accepted as jurors in the Nationai
Capital.
May he Put Up to Court.
~ should be disnclined.' he said. lin
the face of the wording of the code;
which uses the term man, to hoid
that woman could qualify for jury
service in a criminal case. l am IN,
clined to think that Congress Wouiu
have TO amend the code before II
would he safe to accept women as
jurors in thsi District"
The question of the eligibility OF
women for jury service will probably
be considered by the justices of the
court when they assemble next month.
Chief Justice Mccoy suggested. The
chief justice pointed out the difficulty
of getting jurors because of the num-
Der of exemptions. The including OF
women as jurors would Tighten the
burden of the jury commission. he
said.
Col. Barry Bulkley. speaking for the
jury commission, declared that he
would welcome a decision by The court
in favor of the eligibility of women
to do jury service. Not only because 1t
would be easier on the commission, he
stated. bat also because women would
make good jurors. in his opinion.