I disagree with the editorial board’s contention that Nick Johnson got off easy. They stated “the deferred judgment is practically a reward” and “is barely a tap on the shoulder to get Johnson’s attention.” Hardly! We could think of the $36,662 restitution order as a fine. The only difference is the proceeds do not go to the state, but to University Museums to restore the sculpture. The impact on Johnson is the same as a fine. I don’t know what kind of salary an MIS major entering the work force can expect to receive, but that is very close to the first year’s salary for a beginning civil engineer in a consulting firm. In my opinion, that is a very severe penalty. A self-inflicted penalty, to be sure, but still very severe. Then there is the inconvenience and humiliation of complying with probation rules for five years — a continuing reminder to Johnson, his family and friends of how badly he screwed up. The editors state that 200 hours of community service “is a mere five weeks of working full time.” That is equivalent to every Saturday morning for a year or one Saturday morning per month for four years. That is another continuing reminder to him of how badly he screwed up. Now we can add in the court costs and continuing probation fees. All of this takes place while he is struggling for years to pay the restitution. This should be enough! He is being severely disciplined for several years. Why should we insist that he be destroyed with a felony conviction? In my observation over three decades, the judges in Story County have traditionally been merciful toward young people when the crime was something other than violence toward a person. You can translate that as “lenient” if you don’t approve of mercy. Story County judges, like many cultures throughout the world, seem to have known intuitively what recent research has shown: the human brain is not fully developed until some time in the mid-20s, and that the parts of the brain that are still developing in the early twenties, including the cerebral cortex, are those that are associated with wisdom and good judgment. There is actually some scientific validity to the statement that boys (and girls) will be boys (and girls). Johnson described his crime as a “stupid mistake.” How many of us can say that we never made a stupid mistake in our youth that, but for a stroke of good luck or a lack of bad luck, could have really messed up our lives? Johnson made a spectacularly stupid mistake and had the misfortune to be caught. There is every reason to believe that after five long years of recompense, he will have gained sufficient wisdom and judgment to proceed with his life in a worthy and productive manner. The justice system in Story County has made it possible for this to happen. Let it be so.

James A. Gaunt

Manager

CCE Analytical Services Laboratory