Page:Race distinctions in American Law (IA racedistinctions00stepiala).pdf/275

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County No. 2, 14,000 white people, 29,800 Negroes: "No Negroes have served on juries in the court of this county since 1894. Prior to that time it was a common thing for them to be in the majority. I believe the Negroes are fairly well pleased with the verdicts of all white jurors, as the question is nearly always propounded to the juror, when it is a Negro defendant: 'Would you give the defendant the same consideration as if he was a white man?'"

Florida.—County No. 1, 17,000 white people, 22,000 Negroes: "It has been many years since a Negro sat upon a jury in this court, and the probability is, it will be many more. Negroes are not regarded as good jurors, and I believe it to be a fact that a Negro would prefer being tried by a white jury than a mixed jury, or a jury composed wholly of Negroes; this applies to both civil and criminal matters."

County No. 2, 11,000 white people, 12,000 Negroes: "Negroes do not sit on the jury in this county, and have not since the days of 'Carpet-Bag Rule.' I do not think a county in this State permits a Negro juryman."

County No. 3, 6,000 white people, 8,000 Negroes: "Negro jurymen or other officers are a thing of the past in our county and State. The oldest person can hardly recall the time when we had such in our county, with the exception of a very few years just after the war."

County No. 4, 9,000 white people, 15,000 Negroes: ". . . in the circuit court of the State it is very seldom that a Negro serves on the jury. Negroes, as a rule, are not good jurors, for the reason that they are usually very ignorant and can be easily influenced by others in the