Two esteemed judges found themselves indulging in one too many drinks at their local watering hole.
As the night drew to a close, they stumbled out onto the dimly lit streets, their arms slung over each other’s shoulders.
Suddenly, one of the judges, his tongue loosened by the libations, turned to his companion and pronounced: “Hey, I think we’re drunk.”
The second judge, his judicial faculties still somewhat intact, responded with a wry grin:
“According to the law, I will have to charge you with being drunk and disorderly. And you will have to appear before me at 10am tomorrow.”
The following morning, as the first judge nursed a throbbing headache, he found himself standing before the bench, facing his colleague’s judgment.
He pleaded guilty to the charge, and his comrade, donning the mantle of impartiality, issued his finding:
“You will pay a fine of $10 for your misdemeanor.”
Then, the judges switched places, for the other to also be charged for his disorderly conduct the night before.
“Drunk and disorderly, eh?” the new judge declared, his gaze stern. “You are fined $20.”
Taken aback by the harsher sentence, the first judge protested,
“Hey, when I was in the chair, I only fined you $10!”
Without missing a beat, the second judge offered a sardonic explanation:
“Yes, but this offence is becoming too common. You are the second drunk to appear before the court this morning!”
