227: The jury system. When did juries start, and what is their function?

The boys drink and review Negra Modelo for Cinco de Mayo, then discuss the jury system. Pigweed was recently called to jury duty, and the boys discuss the history and development of the jury system, and some of the interesting details about it. What does a "jury of peers" mean? How are juries selected? The main purpose of a jury is protection against arbitrary government power. Is it doing that effectively? What is jury nullification, and is it a good thing or not? What should we do when a jury is under public pressure to reach a pre-determined verdict? Should we replace citizen juries with professional juries?