§3048. Tales jury box and tales jurors

The jury commission at such times as the court may order, shall select one hundred tales jurors, good men and true, and place their names in a box known as the tales jury box, securely seal the box and deliver it to the district clerk of the parish, who shall keep it so sealed and unopened in his possession until ordered by the court to produce it. If on the trial of any civil case, the regular venire is exhausted, or it appears that it will be exhausted, before the selection of a jury therein, the court at its discretion may instruct the clerk to open the tales jury box and draw therefrom such number of tales jurors as in its judgment may be necessary to serve on the case, and the sheriffs shall forthwith summon such tales jurors to serve in the case. The tales jurors so summoned shall report immediately for jury service in said court in the case; provided, that the names of tales jurors drawn from such tales jury box and who do not serve shall not be returned to the tales jury box by the district clerk, but the slips upon which the names are written shall be destroyed in the presence of the court by the district clerk. The jury commission, at any time, without the order of the court, may supplement the names of tales jurors in the tales jury box, until the full complement of one hundred is reached. All tales jurors shall possess the same qualifications as provided for regular jurors, but no publication of the tales jury list shall be necessary. The jury commission shall not make known in any manner, the names placed in the tales jury box, and should any of them do so, he shall be held in contempt of court and punished accordingly. Nothing herein contained shall be so construed as to limit the right of the judge in civil cases or by all parties litigant to a civil suit, or their counsel, after the list of regular jurors is exhausted, after the trial has commenced, to order the summoning of talesmen from among the bystanders or persons in proximity to the court house, or from any portion of the parish, which the judge may designate.