New Britain herald., 1927-12-30
RENlUS AND MACRI CASES;
 THE JURY SYSTEM

which followed the acquittal of Remus in Cincinnati. The jury has been flayed for its weakmindedncss pilloried for it's sentimentaliy, and ridiculed for it's emotionalism.
 This has had an inflnitiSmal effect upon the jurors; they nearly wept over the fact that poor Rcmus was not released from Jail before Christ mas, SO that he could spend the holi- days like a free and innocent man. No one can understand why jurors act that way. Some would re- gard the Remus ac1uttal as almost sufficient evidence that the American jury system has broken down and that it ought 10 be supplautcd by some other judicial system less like f ly to lead to the acquittal Of per sons who admit they murdered somebody but that they did so while being temporarily insane or because the circumstances warranted the decd
 But juries take q good deal beside the law into consideration. Let q person who can convince them flat he has been grievously wronged be- fore committing a crime come be- fore them and in many instances they will let their emotions be the guide rather than the law.
 There was the Olympia Macri case in New Haven, for instance. The Macri girl shot and killed the father ol her child, watching for him , at the entrance to theater and do- ing the deed with premeditated skill. Of course, the fellow she killed had Wronged her: but that was no reason in law why she should have resort cd to murder to- punish him.
 The jury, however, did not blindIy : follow the letter of the law but virtually agreed with her that she was justified in her action. Al any rate, she was freed.
 There was q small storm of in 1 dignation about 1t in some circles. but it didn't last. II has been said 1 that the verdict after all was in line win public opinion as a whole.
 The Remus case, although not al ! together similar. had the effect Of working upon the minds of the jury in the same fashion. He showed that ! his wife had been unfaithful and in ] this and numerous ether ways had =. preycd greatly on his mind. He had no right to take summary action ' according 10 the law--but the jury did not split hairs on the point. IL merely agreed that he had been wrongcd and it would be d further wrong 10 execute him or send him ~to prison.
 "You never can tell what a Jury is going to do," q lawyer once said. which is quite correct. lt is quite likely, however. that the so-callod "unwritten law" has percolated into the minds of the American people as something tangible, to be consid cred in relation to most ma jol criminal offcnscs. Juries seem tC look deeply for the motive, and fl this touches the handspring of emo. iionalism the culprit is likely 10 gc free.
 The unwriuen law, so-callod, die not figure in the Chapman case, Il the Gray Snyder case, and will no figure in inc Hickman case. Tht omoIonalism in these cases scarcely exist; the popular feeling rather eX tends as far as 1t can go in tn, other direction. In The Hickman case, for instance, lt is dcubii" whether q Jury can bo found whicf has not come to Il pr
 clusion regarding the k:lr.
 TT, and what sympathy bobs uI probably will Eo for the iHacc. o
 girl victim rather than for th, youth, His only chance is an insanit! plea.
 The jury system IS not perfect. bu th"r. Is no guarantee that any othc
 system would be better in tho lon:
 run. Fundamentally, to in1ict tin
 Jury system as iur.HcirHt is to indie
 public opinion. which in many case
 i, closely follows. II is a rather cat.
 occupation 10 stand on the sidcline
 and pick faults and flaws in q iur,
 verdict; but II makes q big differ i "ure 10 b" on the jury, hear all in
 evidence. see th" actions of those ir
 yolvcd and realize that 10 make mistake may mean the taking of
 life unnecessarily. There are thos who say that capital punishmcn causes iurics 10 act the way they q
 in many instances. and perhaps the
 are right. Knowledge that Il mistake ono" made, cannot be retrieved vii
 m%l,r any e"nsiol" person on q jur, cxcrcise cxtremc caution.
 w. don't think the Jury system i as bad as il Is being painted at thi moment Convictions under II hav'