The Road Taken

Here’s the eye-catching introduction to an Arizona hearing officer’s report in a bar discipline case:

“No matter how far you have gone the wrong [road], turn back,” is a wonderful old proverb. This Respondent, stubborn cowboy that he is, has learned the hard way that he was barrelling down that wrong road. The evidence presented at the hearing has convinced me he is committed to turning back. One hopes he will succeed.

The road in question appears to have been paved with alcohol, leading to criminal consequences. In addition to favorable testimony from his probation officer and a substance abuse counsellor, the attorney testified that “[h]e was and is a cowboy (although he no longer rides in rodeos).” The Arizona Supreme Court accepted a consent disposition and imposed a 90 day suspension followed by two-years of supervised probation. (Mike Frisch)