In the year 1910 the juries of New York County convicted in sixty-six per cent of the cases before them.

If we are to test fairly the efficiency of the system, we must deduct from the thirty-four acquittals remaining the fifteen acquittals which were justifiable.

By so doing we shall find that in the year 1910 the New York County juries did the correct thing in about eighty-one cases out of every hundred.

This is a high percentage of efficiency.* Is it likely that any judge would have done much better?
* The following table gives the yearly percentages of convictions and acquittals by verdict in New York County since 1901: NUMBER NUMBER YEAR CONVICTIONS ACQUITTALS CONVICTIONS ACQUITTALS BY VERDICT BY VERDICT PER CENT PER CENT 1901........551...........344..........62............38 1902........419...........349..........55............45 1903........485...........307..........61............39 1904........495...........357..........58............42 1905........489...........299..........62............38 1906........464...........246..........65............35 1907........582...........264..........68............32 1908........649...........301..........62............38 1909........463...........235..........66............34 1910........649...........325..........66............34 After a rather long experience as a prosecutor, in which he conducted many hundreds of criminal cases, the writer believes that the ordinary New York City jury finds a correct general verdict four times out of five.

As to talesmen in other localities he has no knowledge or reliable information.