Three years ago, my rural neighborhood went through an epidemic of mailbox smashing. As soon as a homewoner would put up a new box to replace one, it would be smashed with a baseball bat. One older gentleman took a 6-inch-diameter metal pipe, sunk it two feet in the ground, and filled it with concrete. He then cut a six inch circular hole in the bottom of his mailbox and dropped it down on top of the pipe. He figured this would defeat the box-smashers.

That night, a car cruised by, a teenager leaned out, swung a bat, and broke his arm at the elbow. The kid's parents sued the homeowner and won a cash settlement.

Another argument for the pillory...for the kid AND the Judge.