Cui Bono?

Sometimes I read of a case that is about to come through the courts, and wonder just who stands to gain from this or even this. The law may or may not have been broken in either case, but does the public interest really require the majestic panoply of charge, plea, and trial, resulting, almost inevitably, in a sentence that prompts a 'why-oh-why' rant in you-know-which tabloid?

(later edit) And who would call the police for a scrap between two toddlers?

On the other hand, this is a properly exemplary use of the Judge's powers. The young man concerned was undertaking what should be the awesome task of adjudicating on the fate of a fellow citizen, but decided that a night out was more important. Let us hope that the experience of a few nights in, in insalubrious company, educates this undergraduate in the meaning and importance of civic duty.