A Jury of One’s Peers…

Submitted by Bill St. Clair on Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:24:35 GMT  <== Politics ==> 

Eric Peters Autos describes what a jury of one's peers is supposed to be.

A jury of one’s peers.

Though not specifically mentioned in the Constitution, the concept is an ancient element of English Common Law – on which our Constitution (RIP) was based. The men of a community would gather to weigh evidence presented against someone – someone they knew. Unfortunately, what we have today is an altogether different animal. You may find yourself tried in front of a jury – but they will not be your peers. It is an important distinction – one that bears relearning.

Not peers in the royal sense – but rather, people who know you; your neighbors in the community. That was what was meant – and intended – by a jury of one’s peers. Because it provides a necessary context now absent from most court proceedings – and a check against gratuitous prosecution and excessive or even unnecessary punishment.

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