tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32673461.post3358464917558578176..comments2023-05-25T06:44:40.265-05:00Comments on The Motley Cow: Annette Ziegler: ethical violations are easy when you have enough money to pay for them.Mpetersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399880071535547324noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32673461.post-30673972553710192642007-06-21T05:08:00.000-05:002007-06-21T05:08:00.000-05:00Hi everyone,"Earth to Mark" is how people always b...Hi everyone,<BR/><BR/>"Earth to Mark" is how people always begin when they draw lousy cards. "Get over it" is what they say when they actually know they're wrong. Here, look: <BR/><BR/>Suppose you're out with your friends, have a few too many beers, and decide to drive home. Unfortunately the police catch you, pull you over, run a breathalizer proving you're over the legal limit, and then charge you with DUI. Afterwards, you insist that the arrest was stupid because 1) you did a "gut check" and decided you didn't feel impaired and 2) even if you were, nobody got hurt.<BR/><BR/>Ms Ziegler's position is the same. The rules give specific limits on what judges can do. She drove home anyway. After she got pulled over she complained that 1) she'd done a "gut check" and decided that her judgements weren't impaired and 2) even if they were, nobody got hurt.<BR/><BR/>As with any drunk driver, the fact that she didn't feel impaired doesn't mean she wasn't over the legal limit. When she paid the fine she admitted that she'd crossed over the line. <BR/><BR/>Anonymous complained I was being too black and white about this, but let's just test it in the real world.<BR/><BR/>Would you try pulling this on the police if you were caught driving over the legal limit? Would you try pulling it on the judge? <BR/><BR/> "How do you plead?"<BR/><BR/> "Not guilty, your Honor."<BR/><BR/> "But it says in the police report that you were over the legal limit."<BR/><BR/> "Yes your Honor, but I did a gut check first and decided I didn't feel impaired -- and besides, nobody got hurt."<BR/><BR/> "Oh, wow. Okay. In that case, a small fine seems appropriate. Case dismissed."<BR/><BR/><BR/>Yeah. Right. <BR/><BR/>Anonymous' argument only works in the blog-universe, not in the real one. Don't believe me? Go ten rounds with Jose Cuervo and then try it out on a State Trooper. <BR/><BR/>In the real world Judge Ziegler herself wouldn't have let you off.<BR/><BR/>Earth to Anonymous: ethics is nothing but gray. That's why we don't depend on ethics to maintain social order. That's why we govern ourselves by rules and regulations instead. And why? Because rules and regulations can be black and white -- that's their advantage. Ethics just leaves us in the quicksand of gray gray gray.<BR/><BR/>By agreeing to pay her fine, Judge Ziegler took responsibility for her actions and showed that she understands the rules. That's good. It also caught her in the position of having initially lied to the arresting officer -- as I pointed out. That's embarrassing.<BR/><BR/>Now, perhaps Anonymous would like to make the case that Judges who knowingly violate established black and white regulations, and then admit to violating those regulations, didn't really violate those regulations since 1) she didn't feel her judgment was impaired and 2) besides, even if it was, nobody got hurt. <BR/><BR/>I don't think judges should act that way. It isn't good for the judge and it isn't good for the society that has to trust her judgement.<BR/><BR/>hiho<BR/>MpetersonMpetersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18399880071535547324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32673461.post-70236576382907151432007-05-22T12:22:00.000-05:002007-05-22T12:22:00.000-05:00Earth to Mark,Get over it. I cannot believe that a...Earth to Mark,<BR/>Get over it. I cannot believe that a man who claims to be a philosopher can view matters of ethics in such a black and white way. You forgot to report that the Ethics Committee found no fault in her judgements and agreed that her family did not benefit financially. Does the truth of the matter mean nothing to you if it does not fit with your political bias?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com