The American jury system seems wrong to me. Practicing law is a profession, not something a "jury of peers" is suitable for.
If a judgement is needed in any important situation, the ones who make the judgement should be intelligent and well-trained in the relevant profession. Not just people randomly selected from driver’s licenses and id cards.
When a judge makes the decision about guilt or innocence, at least you know you receive a verdict from someone who is intelligent and well-trained in legal matters.
In the jury system, with some bad luck, you have a majority of jurors who are not very bright and have never had any training in legal matters. And they decide whether you live or die.