Wasn't I just talking about unintended consequences, and how laws, strictly applied, can result in the furthest thing from justice?

North Carolina has law making it a felony to "shoot a missile" into a car, which is written broadly to include throwing things. It covers not only firing bullets, but truly dangerous behavior like throwing bricks off overpasses. Makes sense, right?

Well, it makes sense until you read the story of Jessica Hall. Miss Hall, 25, was frustrated by a driver who had cut her off twice in heavy traffic. In a case of two wrongs not making a right, she threw her empty McDonald's drink at the other driver, where it splashed some ice and soda on the passenger.

One would think the proper remedy would be a stern dressing down, paying to have the car detailed, and paying the passenger's cleaning bill. Perhaps spend a weekend of "community service" picking up other people's McDonald's cups from the roadside.

One would think that would be a good and sufficient remedy. But thinking, it seems, isn't allowed in North Carolina. Miss Hall was prosecuted and convicted of the above-mentioned felony. The mandatory minimum sentence is two years in prison. Two years for throwing a cup. A. Paper. Cup.

The judge, finding the sentence unacceptable, sentenced her to five years' probation. That's on top of the seven weeks she had already spent in jail. Seven weeks in jail. Five years on probation. A felony record for life. For a paper cup and ice. 

But North Carolina has laws, you see, and the laws must be obeyed, and they must be enforced. And in a slavish devotion to The Law worthy of Inspector Javert, North Carolina is at least consistent: two days after Jessica Hall was released from jail, Allen Tat Le was arrested and charged under the same law, for dousing a car with cup of coffee.

The next time you're tempted to say, "There ought to be a law," please don't.