What the Judge Ate for Breakfast

Legislators pass laws. Judges uphold them. But when people bring their problems to court, judges catch the idiosyncrasies lawmakers miss. Judge David Kaufman found such flaws in Senate Bill 123, which provides state funds to help pay for drug treatment while people are on probation. Kaufman recently faced a young woman convicted of possessing methamphetamine and making minimal wages. The judge found she’d only be eligible for aid to help her drug problem if she was a more violent criminal.