Reminds me

Substackers are arguing about the physics of head shots and rifles. Reminds me of my jury service in 2014. The defendant was a rich Saudi asshole who got too handsy and forceful with some girls in a club. I was trying to discuss his personality and lack of control. The other three males were intensely arguing about the physics of hugging.

All three were Gonzaga grads, trained by Jesuits, the champions of endless exhausting pointless argumentation. Jesuitical is a comprehensive description.

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As I noted in my 2014 summary, the whole case was a beautiful proof of the basic rule for defendants, which is a version of the basic rule for humans.

ALWAYS TAKE THE PLEA.

If you choose a jury trial, YOU WILL LOSE. Only a few super-rich super-powerful defendants can bet on winning, because they can pick the judge and influence the jury through media. Even then, the bet won’t necessarily succeed. Sammy, superrich and superelite and superconfident, chose a trial and got life. His cohorts took the plea and got much shorter sentences. For the other 99.999%, the plea is ALWAYS a better result.

I don’t know why the Saudi asshole chose the trial. His lawyers were incompetent and did him more harm than good. You can be sure the lawyers got plenty of money from the rich asshole’s family, which was their whole purpose in running the case.

The broader rule of Desistance is parallel. When you see two “sides” arguing over an issue, DON’T BE THERE. Skip the whole mess if you can, try to get out as fast as possible if you can’t. Both “sides” are fake. Only the lawyers and politicians win in the end.