Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-25
BONUS RECIPIENTS
BARRED FROM Jury
Veterans Receiving U. S.
Cash Among Long List
of Exclusions.

Every veteran Of the World War who
accepted the bonus is barred from Serv-
Ice on District grand juries and GRIM
inal juries, it was pointed out today as
court officials discussed the difficulties
which beset the Jury Commission in
its task of selecting eligible jurors. An
ineligible member of the grand Jury, not
discovered until last Wednesday, rem
dered void all the indictments in the
police brutality cases.
Previous rulings of the court had ex-
cluded all veterans who had converted
their war risk insurance on the grounds
that this constituted q contract with
the Government and on one occasion a
Juror had been excluded because he
had stamp agency in his drug store.
AS practically every veteran accepted
the adjusted compensation certificates
the effect of the ruling Is to exclude all
veterans from grand jurtes and Grim
inal court juries.
IneIigibIes Extended.
The District code disqualiies among
others only salaried officers OF the
United states and District governments
and the courts for many years held this
disqualification did not extend to per-
sons only temporarily employed or being
@AO~
until 1909, when the United States
Supreme Court in the Crawford case
held that a conviction Was Improperly
obtained because among the trial Jurors
was a man who had stamp agency IN
his drug store and was In contractural
relation with the United States, that
the disqualification were extended.
Following this ruling judicial caution
ran riot and brought about the dis
qualification of all persons having con-
tracts with the Federal or District gov
eminent and all persons owning build
ing which is rented to the Government
or in which there is stamp agency.
Before the demolition of the old Center
Market and while 1t was being operated
by the Department of Agriculture, all
persons renting. stands therein came
under this disqualification.
1t was not until 1921 that the ex-
illusions were extended to persons re-
ceiving pensions or other gratultleS
from the Government when the District
Court of Appeals threw out an indict-
nnent against a number of coal deal
ers because a member of the grand
Jury which reported the Indictment was
receiving a pension. This decision leo
to the propounding OF the question
whether a prospective juror receives
any money IN any 1OIm 1iohA SAo-AS. .
the Federal or District Government
and this led to the exclusion OF all
former soldiers having the bonus or
war risk insurance.
Notaries Disqualified.
Between those two court decisions
the late Justice Ashley M. Gould de-
cided that by reason Of the Crawford
decision a notary public, whose only
connection with the Government is that
he Is appointed by the President OF
the United States, would also De as
qualified to serve on a grand jury or
criminal petit Jury.
It is such disqualification that the
jury commission would like to see re-
moved by legislative enactment, II was
stated by Edwin G. Graham, member
of the commission, yesterday. rather than
the passing of law imposing on the
jury commission the duty OF sendlng
missionaries to possible Jurors 70
pass on their qualification before plac-
ing the names in the jury box.
BY an error The Star yesterday oes-
ignated Mr.. Graham as chairman OF
the commission. Mrs. Lillian S. Pritch-
ard, widow of former Justice Pritchard,
is the chairman.