The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1928-01-12
SWAN JURY Sees MOVIES
AND HAS PLEASURE RIDE
Court Spares No Expense To
Combat Jury Avoidance With
Pleasant Circumstances.
Sundays Cumberland Times)

Especially interesting in the light Of
Judge Albert A. Doub 9 comments on
Tuesday morning in his charge to the
Grand Jury for the January term of
the Circuit Court for Allegany coun-
ty, in which he deplored the current
unwillingness of residents of the coun-.
ty to perform jury duty, are three
bills which were passed on by the
County Commissioners to the Court
for approval.
A bill of seven dollars for theatre
tickets, one of ten dollars for automo-
biles in which the jury was taken out
for an airing, and one for several hun
bred dollars for food and lodging at
the Algonquin Hotel, will be among
the costs of the Mabel Swan murder
trial which will be presented to Gar
rett county for payment.
1t would seem, from the above, that
the life of a juryman might be an al
together comfortable and even pleas
ant existence, and it is difficult to see
just why good jurors are so hard to
obtain.
According to the oath administered
to the bailiff to whom the jury is en-
trusted, they are to receive neither
food nor drink" save by order of the
Court, until they have reached a YER
dict. AS everyone knowns and as no
one could possibly object to, jurors
are allowed all the food and drink
they desire. And while a few might
object to the dining and lodging of the
jury at comparatively expensive no
tel, the jurors are certainly entitled
to palatable food and clean, comfor-
table lodging. 1t may be that there
is no less expensive place available to
feed and lodge the jury which the
Court considers adequate. At any
rate, Sheriff Harvey has not asked the
jurors to partake of anything less
than the best fare and lodging OBJ
tainable.
To make their task less boresome
the Swan jury was entertained at the
Strand Theatre and taken for a long
ride in the country. One of its men,
bers was taken i'll but with prospect of
recovery in time to continue the case.
Consequently the sheriff took the men
for a ride and to see show,a practice
variously reported about the Court
House as usual and unusual.
1t is interesting to speculate to
what length court may go in order
to make jury duty less wearisome. 1t
requires no especially active magma
ton to picture future jury enjoying
real holiday as the result of success
sive steps by Court to attract good
jurors.
1t is also interesting to consider if
or not Garrett County will pay the
costs in the instances enumerated
without question, since this particular
case was guest" case and not one
of Allegany County's own trial.
1t is said that the desire to avoid
the admitted civic duty of jury SER
vice is not peculiar to this community
but that similar civic laxity obtains
throughout the country.
At first thought it must seem that
avoidance of jury duty arises from the
general prosperity enjoyed by the av-
erage juror when up and about his
own work or business, beside which
the most attractive jury duty possible
must seem irksome.
The question naturally presents it
self as to whether courts can best
combat the condition by making jury
duty as attractive as possible by the
atre tickets, rides and fine hotel &C
commodations, or by education to the
fact that jury duty is not expected to
be attractive and that it is a respon-
sibility of citizenship to be borne
cheerfully and willingly.