This was a "Sheriff's jury".
The question is did anyone hear of a practice of making up and giving out souvenirs to jurors and/or others?

John N. Travis
Albany County Historian/
Real Property Investigator
112 State St, Albany NY 12207


-----Original Message-----
From: A LISTSERV list for discussions pertaining to New York State
history. [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Jim Folts
Sent: Monday, November 20, 2006 3:20 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [NYHIST-L] Astor/Chanler


The best-known use of the "special jury" was by NY County District
Attoney Thomas E. Dewey, in his campaign against organized crime in the
late 1930s. The press called such juries "blue-ribbon" juries.

Use of the so-called "special jury" was first authorized by NY Laws of
1896, Chap. 378. The 1896 statute provided for use of a "special jury"
upon application by the district attorney OR the defendant in a criminal
case OR either party in a civil case, "by reason of the importance or
intricacy of the case . . . or [because] the subject matter of the
indictment or the issue to be tried has been so widely commented upon
that the court is satisfied that an ordinary jury cannot without delay
and difficulty be obtained to try such issue" or for the "due, efficient
and impartial administration of justice."  The statute required personal
examination of each prospective special juror concerning his
"qualification and fitness to serve as a special juror." The statute
provided no definition of such qualifications, though a clue may be
found in the statutory reference to "intricacy of the case"--implying
that a complex case might require jurors with greater powers of analysis
and/or greater subject expertise.

The provisions of the 1896 statute were reenacted by Laws of 1902 Chap.
602, and Laws of 1938, Chap. 552 (= Judiciary Law sect. 18b). The
statute was repealed by Laws of 1965, Chap. 778. The "special jury"
provisions always applied only in counties of population of one million
or more, which means the statute was applicable only in some of the
boroughs of New York City, and in the late decades in some of the NYC
suburban counties and in Erie County (Buffalo).

Jim Folts
Head, Reference Services
New York State Archives



>>> [log in to unmask] 11/20/06 11:24 AM >>>
TO WHOMEVER:

	I am trying to assist someone who is researching the 1899 Lunacy
Trial of John Armstrong Chanler.  They have uncovered an artifact from
the trial - a "flask" inscribed "FIRST PANEL SHERIFFS JURY JANUARY 14,
1899" and bearing what appears to be the court's coat-of-arms..  

	Has anyone heard of such a thing?  Would the jurors be given
them as souvenirs?


	The story behind the trial is fascinating,  Chanler, an heir to
the Astor fortune,  was found sane in some states and insane in others. 
There is a new book out on this -"ARCHIE AND AMELIA, LOVE AND MADNESS IN
THE GILDED AGE."

John N. Travis
Albany County Historian/
 
112 State St, Albany NY 12207