5 ms·

I just read "Eleven Magic Words" and I'm entirely baffled. Also what a writer, wow.

SapporoChris 4y ago
"It's the functional equivalent of an attorney's XP level", I laughed embarrassingly loud. Thank you and grandparent for recommendations.
kator 4y ago
Yes very well written and reminds us all that in the end we're humans, and once in a while things can go right if only for us asking why they aren't.
lupire 4y ago
I don't get it. The lawyer asked "“Is there anything the court would like to review to reconsider?” and the judge said, oh, well "since you have asked if I want to, yeah I guess I do, so I'll just change my ruling for no reason?"
- overthemoon 4y ago
  I don't think the author gets it, either. I think that's the point. A small miracle happened.
- spbaar 4y ago
  yes
- jimmaswell 4y ago
  "I implore you to reconsider" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvu5Ephsqyk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvu5Ephsqyk
  - ymeskhout 4y ago
    lmao I never saw this before and it's TOO perfect
- skrebbel 4y ago
  Exactly that. I had to read it twice too. The way I read it is there were so many hearings so quickly in a row that the judge was in some sort of blur. Case, bam, verdict. Case, bam, verdict. One every 10 minutes. And in that situation, just from being asked to think it over a few more seconds, she saw that maybe she had it wrong and changed her mind.
  - ALittleLight 4y ago
    My reading was that the judge had thirty seconds to regard the grieving family and changed her mind and asking her to reconsider gave her an easy opportunity to change the sentence.
- dwohnitmok 4y ago
  That article was posted by the original author on Reddit and one of the commentators came up with a plausible explanation (which convinced the author). In one sentence the idea is that because public defenders know that the overwhelming majority of their clients belong in jail, and the judge knows that public defenders know that too, if a public defender makes an extra plea to the judge that's a signal that the public defender knows something that means this client really shouldn't be in jail and therefore changes the judge's opinion of the client. https://old.reddit.com/r/TheMotte/comments/w5jyyd/eleven_magic_words/ihgpnhx/ https://old.reddit.com/r/TheMotte/comments/w5jyyd/eleven_mag...
  - lupire 4y ago
    But why wouldn't the PD just say why the defendant doesn't belong in jail?
- paulclinger 4y ago
  It's possible that the judge already was considering changing their ruling (or was "on the fence" about it), but the question gave them a way to explain it (rather than saying "I changed my mind").
CamperBob2 4y ago
Eh, if he were a great writer, I'd understand the point of the story, specifically what was so powerful about the eleven-word incantation. Which I don't. I would like my 3 minutes back, Your Honor. Apparently I'd have to be an attorney to get it, in which case I'd have presumably learned about this obscure legal hack in law school.
- oogali 4y ago
  You read all of that in 3 minutes?
  - CamperBob2 4y ago
    Altogether, it took more like seven or eight minutes, but because it was decently-written and had some legitimate educational and entertainment value, I'll settle for a partial refund.
- ymeskhout 4y ago
  > I'd understand the point of the story, specifically what was so powerful about the eleven-word incantation That's the point, there was nothing remarkable about the eleven words. Goes to show you how arbitrary the system can be.

"It's the functional equivalent of an attorney's XP level", I laughed embarrassingly loud. Thank you and grandparent for recommendations.

kator 4y ago

Yes very well written and reminds us all that in the end we're humans, and once in a while things can go right if only for us asking why they aren't.

lupire 4y ago

I don't get it. The lawyer asked "“Is there anything the court would like to review to reconsider?” and the judge said, oh, well "since you have asked if I want to, yeah I guess I do, so I'll just change my ruling for no reason?"

overthemoon 4y ago
I don't think the author gets it, either. I think that's the point. A small miracle happened.
spbaar 4y ago
yes
jimmaswell 4y ago
"I implore you to reconsider" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvu5Ephsqyk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvu5Ephsqyk
- ymeskhout 4y ago
  lmao I never saw this before and it's TOO perfect
skrebbel 4y ago
Exactly that. I had to read it twice too. The way I read it is there were so many hearings so quickly in a row that the judge was in some sort of blur. Case, bam, verdict. Case, bam, verdict. One every 10 minutes. And in that situation, just from being asked to think it over a few more seconds, she saw that maybe she had it wrong and changed her mind.
- ALittleLight 4y ago
  My reading was that the judge had thirty seconds to regard the grieving family and changed her mind and asking her to reconsider gave her an easy opportunity to change the sentence.
dwohnitmok 4y ago
That article was posted by the original author on Reddit and one of the commentators came up with a plausible explanation (which convinced the author). In one sentence the idea is that because public defenders know that the overwhelming majority of their clients belong in jail, and the judge knows that public defenders know that too, if a public defender makes an extra plea to the judge that's a signal that the public defender knows something that means this client really shouldn't be in jail and therefore changes the judge's opinion of the client. https://old.reddit.com/r/TheMotte/comments/w5jyyd/eleven_magic_words/ihgpnhx/ https://old.reddit.com/r/TheMotte/comments/w5jyyd/eleven_mag...
- lupire 4y ago
  But why wouldn't the PD just say why the defendant doesn't belong in jail?
paulclinger 4y ago
It's possible that the judge already was considering changing their ruling (or was "on the fence" about it), but the question gave them a way to explain it (rather than saying "I changed my mind").

CamperBob2 4y ago

Eh, if he were a great writer, I'd understand the point of the story, specifically what was so powerful about the eleven-word incantation. Which I don't. I would like my 3 minutes back, Your Honor. Apparently I'd have to be an attorney to get it, in which case I'd have presumably learned about this obscure legal hack in law school.

oogali 4y ago
You read all of that in 3 minutes?
- CamperBob2 4y ago
  Altogether, it took more like seven or eight minutes, but because it was decently-written and had some legitimate educational and entertainment value, I'll settle for a partial refund.
ymeskhout 4y ago
> I'd understand the point of the story, specifically what was so powerful about the eleven-word incantation That's the point, there was nothing remarkable about the eleven words. Goes to show you how arbitrary the system can be.