Creative Judge Inspired by 'Mister Ed'(Insert Lurch Joke Here)

Associated Press ^ | Friday, September 24, 2004

[Area Freeper]

A judge who disagreed with his colleagues on the Pennsylvania state Supreme Court was inspired to write his dissent in verse – to the theme song of "Mister Ed."

Justice Michael Eakin (search), who is fond of writing rhyming opinions, didn't agree when his fellow justices ruled that a drunken driving law can't be enforced against people on horseback.

Keith Travis, 41, and Richard Noel, 49, were riding horses when they were charged with drunken driving, as was a man in a pickup truck who allegedly rear-ended the horse Travis was riding.

All three men failed field sobriety tests, police said, but a judge threw out the charges against Noel and Travis after they argued that the word "vehicles" in the state's drunken-driving law doesn't apply to horses.

Prosecutors said the code includes people riding animals. But the Supreme Court justices cited a similar case in Utah, where judges said such a statute is too vague and thus let the horse-riders off.

Justice Eakin, however, dissented with two stanzas mimicking the theme song of "Mister Ed," (search) a ‘60s TV sitcom about a talking horse:

"A horse is a horse, of course, of course,

but the Vehicle Code does not divorce

its application from, perforce,

a steed as my colleagues said."

"'It's not vague,' I'll say until I'm hoarse,

and whether a car, a truck or horse

this law applies with equal force,

and I'd reverse instead."

[dead]

A horse won't plow into tree or a schoolbus no matter how drunk his rider.

Gotta get the horse drunk too.

[Stonedog]

*snmpf* *chrff* BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

[camle]

so it took the PA Supreme Court to realize that a horse was not a motor vehicle.

reckon I can sleep tonight knowing all's right with the world...

[thulldud]

So if the horse is drunk, they hang both the horse and rider?

Can we ask Hedy Lamarr about this one?

("That's HEDLEY!")

[koolaidsmile]

Reminds me of when my drunken friend jack couldn't get off his horse. </vague_tasteless_joke_reference>

[harrycarey]

[Izzy Dunne]

I'm not as think as you drunk I am < hic >

[South40]

It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye.

[Thud]

ping

[Dog Gone]

There's just no way that didn't hurt.

[RockinRight]

I haven't seen that pic of Kerry.

[Malleus Dei]

Good photo of John, but where's Teresa? :)