Which is one of the advantages to a jury trial in criminal proceedings, so that a defendant's peers can evaluate the circumstances surrounding the alleged crime

Which is one of the advantages to a jury trial in criminal proceedings, so that a defendant's peers can evaluate the circumstances surrounding the alleged crime. Traditionally judges in the USA have considerable leeway in sentencing as well, though mandatory minimums and "three strikes" laws have eroded that. In schools, "zero tolerance" rules take away the leeway of administrators to make punishment proportional and humane. Going down the road of making better rules that can be perfectly enforced is exactly the wrong direction.