After sitting through the evidence, the twelve men retired,
and, after deliberating, returned with the following verdict:
"The jury are all of one mind--temporarily insane."
THE JUDGE (to jury, who have retired several times without
agreeing)--"I understand that one juryman prevents your coming to
a verdict. In my summing up I have clearly stated the law, and any
juryman who obstinately sets his individual opinion against the
remaining eleven is totally unfitted for his duties."
THE SOLITARY OBJECTOR--"Please, m'lud, I'm the only man who agrees
with you!"
_A Time Exposure_
A judge's little daughter, who had attended her father's court for
the first time, was very much interested in the proceedings. After her
return home she told her mother:
"Papa made a speech, and several other men made speeches to twelve
men who sat all together, and then these twelve men were put in a dark
room to be developed."
During an address to a body of law students ex-President Taft pointed
out that too much care cannot be taken in the selection of the jury.
In this connection he told of an intelligent-looking farmer who had
been examined by both defense and prosecution and was about to be
accepted, when the prosecutor chanced to ask:
"Do you believe in capital punishment?"
The farmer hemmed and hawed and after a moment's reflection replied:
"Yes, sir, I do, if it ain't too severe.
Pages:
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367