Osler's Razor

I regularly check in on the Waco Tribune-Herald (and write for them-- I'm on their Board of Contributors), and stumbled on an alarming story yesterday.

According to Tommy Witherspoon's excellent but disturbing article, a man sentenced to 46 months for possession of over 800 images of child pornography paid $30,000 to hire a hit man to kill my friend, Judge Matt Johnson.

Criminal law is a dangerous business.  It is all about tragedy,  Many of the people coming through the system are and will be dangerous.  The project, for prosecutors and judges, is nothing less than looking someone in the eye and telling them that they are going to lose their freedom.  That combination can lead to real and deep tragedy, of the kind that was avoided in Waco with this arrest.

Meanwhile, back in Grosse Pointe, it appears that my old high school is still employing completely crazy substitute teachers...