Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-27
The Jury System.

Reaction from the remarkable YER
dict Of the jury that recently acquitted
George Remus of the charge of murder,
on the ground Of insanity, is reported
from Cincinnati, where the bar associa-
ton is planning to conduct an inves-
tigation of the trial and the circum-
stances in which the jury was drawn.
The verdict rendered in behalf OF
Remus is not the sole ground Of OBJ
lection. Following that Judgment. the
members of the panel petitioned the
trial Judge in behalf Of one of the de-
Tense witnesses, who has been indicted
for perjury at the trial, and has also
petitioned the probate judge in behalf
Of Remus himself.
Not only the bar association OF Gin
cinnati but that Of the State. will prob
ably take action at meetings soon to
be held looking to the reform Of the
jury system in both jurisdictions. 1t is
a serious reflection upon the Cincin-
natl panel that the present demand is
for some method Of obtaining a higher
type Of veniremen. One civic body,
the Cincinnatus Association. has begun
an investigation of rumors to the effect
that instead of a uniform drawing for
Jurors 1t has been customary to call
only Q certain group, and that fire.
quently juries have been composed
month after month of "repeaters.' YER
liable professionals.
This aforementioned condition Of re-
current service on jury duty Is not Pc
culiar to Cincinnati. Indeed. it pre-
walls in most other communities. Jury
service Is not an agreeable task and is
avoided whenever possible by people who
are most competent to act in such ca
pacity. Men and women OF affairs and
business who are capable to judge the
questions Of fact raised in important
trials are loath to sacrifice the time
involved in attendance. especially in
protracted cases. And most cases are
protracted beyond reason nowadays.
The prolongation OF judicial proceed
ings due to the invocation OF involved
technical questions. the stretching out
to inordinate lengths Of examinations
and cross-examinations OF witnesses
the extended speeches and arguments
of counsel, the wrangling over points OF
Law. all make for delay and not for JUS
tice. In these circumstances 1t Is not
surprising that the average jury In this
country Is composed Of people who are
not in all respects competent to judge
impassionately and without prejudice
and without sentimentality the aues-
tons OF fact that are submitted TO them.
So many wretched examples OF mis-
carriage OF justice have occurred In
the United States during recent years
that q feeling has developed that the
Jury system IL q failure. This Is not
literally the case. however. Incompe-
tence In the Jury box Is not the rule,
though the exceptions have been OF the
kind to bring grave discredit upon the
system. When specific cases arise. as
that In Cincinnati. the remedy may be
found in a revision OF the local laws.
But nothing can be done TO prevent
morbid or maudlin manifestations on
the part Of jurymen 50 long as the
trial procedure itself permits the inter-
lection OF psychological elements that
tend To evoke those reactions on the
| part OF the twelve good men and
true" who sit In Judgment supposedly
on the facts alone.