On gifts to judges

The easy way to do it is just give him tickets to a game.

He will accept, "with no bad motive", like Florida judge John Lakin did.

After all, there is a presumption of judicial integrity.

And some puny game tickets cannot overcome it.

Right?

I wonder how many of such "gifts", big and small, are given to judges by law firms and lawyers across the country.

Unless such a thing leaks to the press - and usually it doesn't, if judges are "good boys and girls" and do what is expected of them in exchange for the "gifts" - nothing will happen to the judge.

I wonder what went wrong in the ticket-giving scheme that it got revealed in Judge Lakin's case.

It is obviously safer for a judge in this country to be bribed and do as he was told to do, for a gift.

Because otherwise he will have to explain about accepting gifts with "no bad motives".

Thousands of years ago, wise people said "Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes" - "be afraid of Greeks bearing gifts".

But greed never learns.