United States v. Murphy

224 F. 554, 1915 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1389
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. New York
DecidedJuly 12, 1915
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 224 F. 554 (United States v. Murphy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Murphy, 224 F. 554, 1915 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1389 (N.D.N.Y. 1915).

Opinion

RAY, District Judge

(after slating the facts as above).

[1] Prior to March 23, 1915, the United States District Judge of the Northern District of New York, at the suggestion of the United States at[556]*556torney for said district, and deeming it advisable and proper, directed that a new jury list or list of names be selected from the county of Onondaga to be placed in the jury box to be used for the drawing of jurors to serve at terms of the United States court to be held in said county. This was to be done under and pursuant to the statute and in accordance therewith by Alexander H. Crounse, commissioner of jurors, and the clerk of this'court. Mr. Crounse resided in the county of Albany, N. Y., at a distance of- about 150 miles from the county of Onondaga, while the clerk of the court resided and resides in the county of Oneida, in the neighborhood of 50 miles from the city of Syracuse, Onondaga county. The compensation allowed to the clerk of tiie court and to the commissioner of> jurors for their services in making up jury lists, including the selection of names, preparing slips, and placing same in the box, and later drawing and attending to drawing panels of grand and petit jurors, is $75 per year each. In the Northern district of New York, the city of Albany, Albany county, the city of Binghamton, Broome county, the city of Auburn, Cayuga county, the city of Utica, Oneida county, and the city of Syracuse, Onondaga county, are designated by statute as the places for holding regular terms of court. It is evident, and has been several times decided in similar cases, that it was not contemplated that the clerk and commissioner of jurors should visit and- abide in the several counties from which jurors are to be selected for a sufficient length of time to familiarize themselves or become acquainted with the citizens subject to jury duty and competent to act as jurors, but that it was anticipated these officers, in performing their duties, would obtain information from various legitimate sources, including, undoubtedly, personal inquiry. It has always been the custom, whether warranted by law or not, for these officers, in making up lists and selecting names of persons to act as jurors, to malee inquiry of various well-informed persons, obtain lists' from various sources, usually the grand and petit jury lists of the several counties, and then make a selection of names based on the information thus derived, and not on personal acquaintance or actual knowledge as to the qualifications and fitness of the persons whose names have thus.been finally selected to go in the box.

In February and March, 1915, one of the assistant United States attorneys for said district was frequently in the city of Albany, where the United' States attorney resides, and where during those months a term of the United States District Court was being held. He was, of course, frequently in the office of. the United States attorney, as it was his duty to be when not in court, and here, and at the government building, where court was held, he met th'e juiy commissioner on several occasions. The jury commissioner-is not provided with a clerk or stenographer, or funds with which to employ one. The; assistant United States attorney has no such assistant, or funds allowed with which to employ one. The United States attorney is allowed a stenographer. Mr. Crounse, the United States commissioner of jurors at that time, residing in the county of Albany as stated, was appointed such on the .recommendation of the United States attorney, with the approval of the Department of Justice. He was not supposed to be, and there is [557]*557no evidence that he was, under the influence of the United States attorney, with whom he had been acquainted for some years, unless it be that personal acquaintance and friendship created such a condition. The commissioner of jurors was not acquainted with the assistant United States attorney until about that time. There is no relationship by blood or marriage or in business matters between the United States attorney and Mr. Crounse, or between Mr. Crounse and the assistant United States attorney. The commissioner of jurors had no acquaintance in the city of Syracuse or county of Onondaga, and the clerk of the court had but very limited acquaintance there.

The evidence shows that in selecting the names of jurors to go in the box for Onondaga county, from which panels were to be drawn for service at subsequent terms of court held therein, the following course was pursued and the following things done, viz.: Mr. Crounse applied to the commissioner of jurors for the county of Onondaga, a state officer, for the grand and petit jury lists used by the state courts in that county, and which lists are in fact made up by the commissioner of jurors for that county, who is appointed by the judges. The grand jury list contains about 500 names, while the petit jury list contains about 6,000 or 7,000 names. Mr. Crounse was furnished the grand jury list for the county of Onondaga, but was informed that the petit jury list was not available. The commissioner then saw the assistant United States attorney in Albany, and requested him to secure, if possible, the petit jury list for the county of Onondaga. He did secure that list, but did not feel at liberty to deliver same to Mr. Crounse or remove same from the city of Syracuse, and proceeded to have a list copied off, containing at least 500 names or more. This list may have contained three or four times that number, but it was not a copy of the entire list. This list caused to be made by him from the jury list of Onondaga county, and copied by the stenographer in the law office of the firm of which he is a member, and to which was added about 108 names not on any list, was then delivered by mail or personally to Mr. Crounse, who made up a list for proposed jury service therefrom, and who later visited the city of Syracuse and saw the assistant United States attorney in reference to tire list, and was referred by him to other reputable persons to make inquiry as to the persons on such list and other persons fit and suitable for jury duty. Mr. Crounse saw highly reputable attorneys and business men, including one judge, and showed the list; and it was approved by them, with some additions and changes. He went to the places of business of some of the persons to whom he was referred, but did not find them all. This list, as changed by additions and erasure of names, was submitted to the clerk of the court as, containing the names of men selected by Mr. Crounse, as proper and suitable to go into the jury box. The clerk of the court had secured the grand jury list of the county of Onondaga, and from this he had selected about 72 names, and he also went over the list submitted by Mr. Crounse with a person residing in the county of Onondaga in whom he had confidence, and erased a few names — some because he did not approve of them and others for the reason they had served as [558]*558jurors in the United States court within a year, and hence were disqualified to go in such box.

Mr. Crounse had caused to be made copies of the list as so made up from the list submitted to him by the assistant United States attorney. In copying lists he had previously availed himself of the services of the clerk'or stenographer in the office of the United States attorney in Albany. This list for Onondaga county was not copied' in that office.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
224 F. 554, 1915 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1389, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-murphy-nynd-1915.