The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1921-05-13
WOMAN JURY SERVICE
is WISELY DISCUSSED
First Kentucky Judge To Put Women
On Jury Discusses Qucs-
ton Pro and Con.

women TOT jury service. In Septem-
Der 1920, soon after the passage OF
the federal Women Suffrage amend.
ment was announced. Circuit Judge
Lewis in holding court in Laurel
county placed one woman on the
grand jury and three on the petit
jury.
Recent service, and very satisfac-
tory service, too, in the Ohio circuit
court, Of women jurors, suggests the
timeliness of reproducing the follow
ing comments of Judge Lewis on the
question of woman jury service.
The laws must be amended cover
ing the selection of talesmen and 9th
er handicaps overcome ii women ju-
ry service is to become general, is
the conclusion Of Circuit Judge Lew
is, London, the first Judge in Ken
lucky to order the placing Of :heir
names in the regular jury wheels
His observations follow:
at is with extreme reluctance that
! make any statement a. all on wo-
n en- jury service. During the Febru-
AIRY term OF The Laurel Circuit Court
;9Zl, .'e lad one woman on the
grand jury and three on the petit jul
ry.
cat first it was rather noticeable
that the members of the bar looked
on the service of womerf on the jury
with some misgiving. There SEEM
ed to be pervading the courtroom o
fear that women would be extreme in
certain cases, more especially viola
tions of the prohibition laws, and
there seemed ito be some fear that
they would be extreme in all criminal
and penal cases.
cat first the women were usually
challenged. Several of the attor-
neys would ask for a panel and when
any woman was drawn she was usual
ly challenged. However, it soon be-
came apparent that the women on
the jury were not extreme. In other
words, instead of standing out for the
maximum punishment they were
found readily agreeing with the men
on moderate verdicts, and it was very
noticeable that the bar was no longer
afraid of accepting the women on the
jury in the trial of criminal cases.
81 doubt whether the service of
women on juries should become gen.
eral. / know that under our present
law on the subject of jury trials in
criminal cases the service of women
on juries is impracticable. In the
trial of cases of offenses which may
be punished capitally the jury must
be kept together in charge of an Of
ficer. On the trial of other felonies
after the case is submitted to the jul
ry they must be kept together in
charge of an officer.
Where one of the jury goes they |
must all go and where one stays they |
must all stay. They have to be kept |
together overnight, so it can readily |
be seen that there must be a change |
of the law respecting criminal trials
inethis State if the service of women
on juries becomes general.
MANY splendid women who are
jury service, both in
tellectually and in every other re-
spect, will find it impracticable to
leave home and attend regularly the
sessions Of the court. Many of them
in fact, most of them-are the
mothers of children, small children
that can't well be left at horne and
away from mothers care and super
vision, and most of these women live
out in the country so far from the
seat of government that they can't At
Tend Court during the day and spend
he nights at home
81 also find that there is s0me
sentiment among men and women
opposed to the service of women on
uries. 1t seems to me that before
he service properly can become gem
eral the trial Judge would have to
De empowered to direct the summon
ng of jury to be entirely made up
If women or men, as the court
thought best, but such a statute
night meet with trouble along con-
lines as infringing on the
lights of litigants in the selection Of
! jury +
"So.ne have suggested the dea OF
the court to separate
he Jury into two parts, placing the '
in charge of a woman Deputy {
Sheriff and the male part Of the
ury in charge of a man, during the
rial of cases where the law requires {
he jury to be kept together. but l
loubt the advisability of such legis- I
alton.
There is another trouble that |
must be met il the service of women Z
,ecomes general. Ii is we'll known {