It is a noble thing to intercede on behalf of another’s worthy cause. But the cause should be a worthy one; we must work to manage expectations; and, when every effort has been exerted, we must know when to let matters take their own course. Advocating on behalf of another in this way could almost be viewed as a form of public service. One of the law’s fundamental rules is the principle of proportionality: a punishment should be reasonably proportional to the crime committed. The reader examining the following anecdote should ask himself whether the punishment was, in fact, proportional to the committed offense.
