Justice v. Mercy

     Justice is a virtue that must be handled with the highest care. Too many people hold it in a higher regard than mercy, not realizing it lies on the dark side of that scale.
    Many legal cases involve the weighing of justice and mercy to determine the sentence of the accused. And while someone who is evidently guilty of committing a crime deserves justice, we the jury and the judges do not always know the full story behind their behavior. Depending on the severity of the crime, circumstances may allow some leeway in the sentencing. Those in life-threatening poverty, the handicapped, or the mentally ill may tip the balance in favor of mercy. A man's deeds or his remorse may also influence the scales. The code of justice does not always have to be administered in a computational way that optimally appeases the victim. 
    When in doubt, if it is ever difficult to choose between justice and mercy, choose mercy- the higher virtue. If you judge in error, better the mistake be for mercy than for justice, as accidental justice hurts the true victim more than accidental mercy. In such cases, leave it in God's hands to administer the correct amount of justice.