I write about how in Midland, the mayor instituted water conservation measures like restrictions on car washing. He made a point though that they were only “suggestions” and not government telling people what to do. But then his constituents got very ticked off at the sight of their neighbors breaking the rules and demanded that they be made into actual laws with penalties.

The penalty for laughing in a courtroom is six months in jail; if it were not for this penalty, the jury would never hear the evidence.