Comic Strip of the Day

CSotD: What peer pressure?

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Mike Peterson Published: November 21, 2011 1 minute 1 comment

Today's Free Range is, on the one hand, rather silly. And we like that around here.

And, on the other hand, there is a serious point about the concept of "a jury of your peers." I suppose, in the days of Magna Carta (a few years ago, we stopped saying "the Magna Carta," for reasons that have never been explained to me), they were thinking of a sort of binary social system, in which you were either a noble or you were not, and it was inappropriate for people of one class to be judged by members of the other, either direction.

And I doubt they were negotiating on behalf of the peasant caught stealing a chicken. I think they were likely talking about a higher class and including the yeomanry-and-lower only by default, that they meant "peers" in a much broader sense.

But we have seen the courts acknowledge the concept of "peers" in a more specific sense, at least in terms of race, where it is not necessary to have a racially matched jury but you're not allowed to purposely un-match it.

The jury in today's strip may be a little narrowly matched, but, hey, it all evens out in the end. Consider this poor fellow, though you probably shouldn't consider him at work with the sound turned up:

Mike Peterson has posted his "Comic Strip of the Day" column every day since 2010. His opinions are his own, but we welcome comments either agreeing or in opposition.