The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1921-03-12
JURY Term
COMMENCES
JUDGE IN ADDRESS TO JURYMEN
TELLS THEM OF THEIR
RESPONSIBILITIES
Women On the Jury Observe Their
Oath to the Letter-Better in
Somes Respects than Men

have he'd jury term in this court
room," said Judge d. H. Carey Mon
day afternoon in his address to the
jury, "nearly two years and it seems
good to see one This has been due
to many causes, some of the prin-
cipal ones being that the attorneys
have done their best here to have
their cases tried by judges and save
the trouble and expense of having
them tried by jury. The prosecu-
ting attorney and sheriff have done
their work so well that most of the
parties have pied guilty and the SEN
tances have been disposed of. 1t may
be that other juries have done their
work so well that people have come
to know that they would get nothing
here but justice. Because of this
good record made by past juries, any
one with a just cause would not be
afraid to have his or her case tried
before Stevens county jury.
Good Records by Past Juries
81 wish to say to you that the
juries of this county, in so far as my
experience goes and that is back at
least to 1905, have rendered excellent
service. | know of no other county
whose juries have done better work
than the juries of this county~and |
think Judge Jackson, my predecessor,
is of the same opinion. In fact
when a jury in this county returns
a verdict into the court, it expresses
the real truth and is sound and good.
That is a splendid record. The jury
record of the last two years is the
best | have seen in my life any
where; it could not be improved on.
l want to call your attention to this
fact, that you have an example be's
fore you here by other juries, whose
record has been good and commen-
dable, and that it is up to you to
keep up that good record and make
your verdicts in this term of court
such that we can say that your ver-
diets have been splendid. There is
nothing in the world better for the
county than good ringing, honest,
true verdict. There is nothing that
will do more harm in the county
than a bad verdict.
Beyond Reasonable Doubt"
A person charged with a crime
should be convicted if the evidence
is strong enough to convict. If that
person is let go, it makes a bad i'm
preston abroad On the other hand
if charged and not proven guilty
beyond any reasonable doubt in crimi
nal matters, that too, does not do
any good, but if the party is guilty
of the crime charged and is proven
so, beyond reasonable doubt, it is
the duty of the jury to convict with
out hesitation. On the other hand,
if the evidence in criminal cases is
not that strong, to convince the jury
beyond reasonable doubt, it is the
duty of the 1try to acquit. That is
the constitution and the law of the
land.
Evidence Must Be Convincing
In criminal cases for several hun
dred years past, it has been the ex-
perience of the English speaking
people that if the laws were such
that they would punish only when the
evidence was that strong as to con-
vince a jury beyond a reasonable
doubt, that by following that rule,
they have been able to keep down
crime. That is all our experience
that the jury will do their duty and
will convict only upon such strong
evidence, that they do then convict
as they should've will be able TO
keep down crime. Crime will be COM
mitted. People will do wrong. But,
innocent people should not be sent to
the penitentiary, nor their liberty
taken away from them. The evidence
should be convincing before a mans
life or liberty is taken away from
him and | say, if the jury convicts
when the evidence is that strong,
crime will be kept down. If not,
crime will begin to walk away with
the rest of us.
Criminal VS.. Civil Cases
"ln criminal cases, the evidence
jury beyond a reasonable doubt, but
in civil cases, there is a different
rule. All that is required is that the
weight of the evidence shall be in
favor of the party who wins, the
convincing weight of it. 1t is not
necessary that he should prove his
facts beyond reasonable doubt.
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