National Trends

In Disregard of Law and Fact

During the debate on the Civil Rights bill last summer, the jury system came in for some pretty hard licks. The bill’s proponents said in effect: Let’s face it, Southern jurors are corruptible. When their views on racial matters conflict with their legal obligations, the former are likely to prevail. The result is no convictions. The remedy, if legislation is to be effective, is to get rid of juries.