Who's the greater fool?

Two men in Mepstead, N.Y. were arrested for telling lawyer jokes outside a courthouse.

Harvey Kash and Carl Lanzisera are the founders of Americans for Legal Reform, a group that monitors courts and pushes for more access for the public. However, the only actual activity the Associated Press story mentioned was the duo’s habit of standing outside court houses and mocking lawyers.

While this is admittedly childish, and while they are guilty of telling at least one over-used lawyer joke instead of coming up with new ones (How do you tell when a lawyer’s lying? His lips are moving! Har Har) I don’t know if that’s really grounds for an arrest.

Basically, the two were standing in a long line waiting to get into the courthouse – not to monitor it and push for greater access, but because Kash was due to answer for drunken driving charges – and cracking wise about lawyers.

One lawyer also standing in the line took it personally, reported the two to courthouse personnel and watched happily as the two were arrested for disorderly conduct.

They will have to go to court for that later.

This brings one question to mind. You got it. What happens if they retain a defense attorney? That defense would be interesting, don’t you think? I can see it now.

Your honor this clearly violates my clients’ first amendment rights. They were simply making a few harmless jokes … for which I am charging them an extra $100 per hour.

Objection!

Mr. Kash, you can’t object to your attorney.

What do you think got me here in the first place, your honor?

Anyway, I really think the stuffed shirt of a lawyer who turned them in might have redeemed the crowd’s opinion of him had he giggled right along with them, instead of calling the cops. Everyone loves someone who can laugh at himself.

Besides, if I got everyone arrested who made fun of me, (or sued for sexual harassment every time I had just cause to do so) half the people I know would be in jail. And while this would free up the job market a little for me, I wouldn’t have many friends, would I?

That being said, what are two grown men doing spending all their time outside courthouses acting like obnoxious jerks?

I think there’s actually a proverb for both the petty sides of this argument.

“If you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.” Proverbs 9:12

And, “A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.” Proverbs 12:16