Race Distinctions in American LawStephenson, Gilbert Thomas
History
Race Distinctions in American Law
Stephenson, Gilbert Thomas
African Americans -- Politics and government; Law -- United States -- History; United States -- Race relations
County No. 5, 3,200 white people, 4,900 Negroes: “Negroes have for a
number of years been serving on the juries in this county, and, as far
as I have been able to learn, have generally given satisfactory
service.... There is hardly ever a jury drawn without some Negroes being
on it. Of course, the judge selects those Negroes who are best qualified
for the service.... Naturally, the number of Negro jurors is not near so
large as that of the whites, for the reason ... that all jurors are
selected with reference to their qualifications.”
County No. 6, 4,000 white people, 4,800 Negroes: “... we never have any
Negroes on juries in my county. Haven’t had any for about fifteen
years....”
County No. 7, 10,000 white people, 13,000 Negroes: “... Negroes do not
serve on juries in this county, and it has been about twenty years since
they did jury service here.”
County No. 8, 2,300 white people, 4,400 Negroes: “Since the adoption of
the new Constitution for this State ... Negroes no longer serve as
jurors in this county. 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.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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