UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT DECISIONS ON-LINE

An indictment under Rev.Stat. § 5511 which charges that the accused, at the time named, did then and there: unlawfully and with force and arms seize, carry away, and secrete the ballot box containing the ballots of a voting precinct which had been cast for representative in Congress, and did then and there knowingly aid and assist in the forcible and unlawful seizure, carrying away, and secreting of said ballot box, and did then and there counsel, advise, and procure divers other persons whose names were to the grand jury unknown, so to seize, carry away, and secrete said ballot box charges but one offense, although it was within the discretion of the trial court, if a motion to that effect had been made, to compel the prosecutor to state whether he would proceed against the accused for having himself seized, carried away, and secreted the ballot box or for having assisted or procured others to do so.

A suitable inquiry is permissible in order to ascertain whether a juror has any bias, to be conducted under the supervision of the court and to be largely left to its sound discretion, and in this case there was no error in not allowing a juror to be asked "would your political affiliations or party predilections tend to bias your judgment in this case either for or against the defendant?"

The case is stated in the opinion.