> What they mean is not just what they literally say, but what the words means in legal context, and considering precident, and the intent of the legislation.

> What they mean is not just what they literally say, but what the words means in legal context, and considering precident, and the intent of the legislation. You say that, but... no. Laws are used all the time in ways that clearly weren't the intent of those laws and make no sense. Many prosecutors and cops care about convictions, not "making sense" or "doing the right thing". For example, this one... > A 17-year-old boy could go to prison for 10 years after being charged as an adult for 'sexting' his girlfriend with explicit photos of himself. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/north-carolina-teenager-charged-adult-sexting-photos-himself-10484292.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/north-caro... It gets even worse when you consider prosecutors effectively blackmailing people into accepting plea deals (sometimes for things they didn't even do) by laying out 20 "other" charges they plan on leveling at them; charges that clearly were not the "intent of the legislation", but technically can be applied.