Judge and Jury in Imperial Brazil, 1808–1871In nineteenth century Brazil the power of the courts rivaled that of the central government, bringing to it during its first half century of independence a stability unique in Latin America. Thomas Flory analyzes the Brazilian lower court system, where the private interests of society and the public interests of the state intersected. Justices of the peacelay judges elected at the parish levelplayed a special role in the early years of independence,