Thursday, August 06, 2009
Guilt by Alliteration
"And call these foul offenders to their answers,
And poise the cause in justice's equal scales,
Whose beam stands sure, whose rightful cause prevails."
(Henry VI - Second Part, Act II Sc. I).
While my arguments for sentencing found themselves no kin to Shakespeare, the court and clerk were apparently amused by my apt alliteration as I proclaimed the defendant (already found guilty by a jury) a martial arts practitioner of some prowess... and therefore by implication worthy of some more serious punishment for his crime. Alas, the court was amused but not persuaded.
In another case, defense counsel noted that his client was actually pretty young in spite of the lengthy criminal record that he had accumulated. However, he failed to make the argument at sentencing that the defendant should therefore be looked upon as an over achiever.
And poise the cause in justice's equal scales,
Whose beam stands sure, whose rightful cause prevails."
(Henry VI - Second Part, Act II Sc. I).
While my arguments for sentencing found themselves no kin to Shakespeare, the court and clerk were apparently amused by my apt alliteration as I proclaimed the defendant (already found guilty by a jury) a martial arts practitioner of some prowess... and therefore by implication worthy of some more serious punishment for his crime. Alas, the court was amused but not persuaded.
In another case, defense counsel noted that his client was actually pretty young in spite of the lengthy criminal record that he had accumulated. However, he failed to make the argument at sentencing that the defendant should therefore be looked upon as an over achiever.
