Second Offence

Author: Dr Roger Gibson

Score: 4 / 5

Two justices of the peace, Luke Gridley and Peter Hackett, ride on their bikes to a pub half a mile from the village where they live. On their way back, late in the evening, a policeman books them for having no lights on their bikes.

They agree that in the next sitting of the local Magistrate’s Court, one of them will take the morning session and the other the afternoon one, so that each may deal with the others misdemeanour.

During the morning session Luke hears Peter’s case.

“You, Peter Hackett, are charged that, on the evening of the 24th of October 2007 you were riding a bicycle at night without lights,” Luke says. “How do you plead?”

“Guilty, my lord,” Peter says.

“You are fined forty pounds.”

                                               *                      

In the afternoon session, Peter hears Luke’s case.

“How do you plead?” Peter asks.

“Guilty, my lord,” Luke says.

“You are fined eighty pounds,” says Peter.

“But that’s a bit steep, isn’t it?” says Luke. “I’d say forty pounds would be more the thing.”

 “Don't make light of the matter,” says Peter.

"We face a growing problem here. Why! "This is the second offence of that nature to come before this court today."