Page:Race distinctions in American Law (IA racedistinctions00stepiala).pdf/279

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as jurors do not give any trouble; they always follow the suggestions and advice of the white jurors."

Parish No. 3, 11,000 white people, 17,800 Negroes: ". . . in this parish Negroes have served on both our grand and petit juries ever since the Civil War. Only the very best of our Negroes are drawn on the jury; they usually constitute about one-half of the panel on the petit jury and on the grand jury they are always represented, but in a much smaller proportion. The number of Negroes with us fit for jury service is not increasing as one would think would be the case considering their advantage for an education. They render very good service, rather prone to convict in serious personal injury cases, inflict capital punishment more readily than white juries and generally want all law enforced, especially against bad men of their own race, as they know this is their best protection."

Parish No. 4, 2,000 white people, 13,700 Negroes: ". . . we have had one Negro on the petit jury the last criminal term of court in a murder case of another Negro. He is the only Negro that has sat on the jury for two or three years in our parish. We do not allow any Negroes to sit on the grand jury in our parish. There are three names of Negroes in the jury-box that we draw our general venire from, as well as I remember, possibly one or two more, but not more than that number, as well as I remember. We used to have as many Negroes as white jurors here ten or twelve years ago."

Mississippi.—County No. 1, 4,000 white people, 31,000 Negroes: ". . . Negroes do serve on juries in our circuit courts, also in our magistrate's court. As to the extent Negro jurors serve Negro jurors are decreasing in