Salt Lake Telegram | 1927-11-03 | Page 1 | Taft Criticises Jury Selection

J TAFT An CRITICISES JURY JURi SELECTION In Intelligent it ge t s q b SJ L Less Lessl ss ssI l I Exemption i J Deeded d J Justice s ic S Says ys WASHINGTON WASHINGTO Nov ov 3 3 Chief Chief f Justice Taft of the United States supreme court Americas America's foremost Jurist today told the tile American crime commission in effect that the nation needs int intelligent juries After declaring the tile country is aroused to the need for improved legal machinery in Ill crime cases and advocating effective punishment and prosecution of criminals Taft declared for further examination of the methods of Selecting jurors Taft said that tho the whole country is becoming aroused to the necessity necessity sity for better legal machinery for prosecution of crime The Baumes law he said seems to indicate that the forgotten forgotten forgotten for for- gotten man the man the victim of murder or robbery robbery robbery-Is is being reme remembered We must not allow our interest In criminals to cause us to make malce the prosecution of crime subordinate to reform Tho Tile Baumes law provides life imprisonment for ft habitual crimi crImi- nals The country at large larges s J ripe for measures which will wol insure speedier speedier speedier speed speed- ier prose prosecution ution Taft said This idea originally was was voiced by the chief justice in tn an Interview with the United Press last year ar He also told the tile commission of another another another an an- other Idea contained in that I In Interview In- In namely nam namely y that Judges ought to have more power In conduct conduct of of criminal cases Exemption from Jury service should be reduced he said and the Judge should be alIo allowed ved more leeway In conduct of a n. trial The jury he lIe said ought to be Judge of the tile facts but there is need for an explanation of the the- law of the case and there should be less swaying of juries by temperamental tal tab II ai