Page:Race distinctions in American Law (IA racedistinctions00stepiala).pdf/291

 *ty. Prior to that time they appeared regularly in our courts, and made good jurors in the civil as well as criminal business. Of course, in selecting them, only the best of their race were chosen. And I can't recall an instance, with an experience of sixteen years as clerk of the courts, that any objection was ever raised against them as jurors."

County No. 9, 5,500 white people, 5,600 Negroes: "We don't have colored men on jury in this county."

County No. 10, 9,000 white people, 13,600 Negroes: "Negroes are not allowed to serve on juries in this county."

County No. 11, 1,100 white people, 3,700 Negroes: "We have not had any Negroes to serve on the jury in this county for twelve or fifteen years, and when they did, they gave very poor satisfaction."

Summary: With such incomplete statistics, conclusions as to the actual service of the Negro as a juror can hardly be more than guesses. Some of the clerks of court say that the number of Negro jurors in their counties is increasing; others, that it is decreasing. Some say that race does not come into the consideration of fitness for jury service; others, that Negroes are not allowed on juries at all. Some say that Negro jurors have given satisfaction; others, that they have been scarcely more than figureheads following the lead of white jurors. Several of the clerks think that Negro litigants are reluctant to have Negro jurors sit on their cases. Some feel that Negro jurors are more prone to convict than white jurors are. It is undoubtedly true that there are not as many Negroes qualified for jury service under the laws of the Southern States as there were twenty-five years ago, say.