Lawyer has a lesson in semantics

A lawyer runs a stop sign and gets pulled over by a state trooper. He thinks that he is smarter than the trooper because he is a lawyer from New York and is certain that he has a better education then any trooper. He decides to prove this to himself and have some fun at the troopers expense.

Trooper: ‘License and registration, please.’

Lawyer: ‘What for?’

Trooper: ‘You didn’t come to a complete stop at the stop sign.’

Lawyer: ‘I slowed down, and no one was coming.’

Trooper: ‘You still didn’t come to a complete stop. License and registration, please.’

Lawyer: ‘What’s the difference?’

Trooper: ‘The difference is you have to come to complete stop, that’s the law. License and registration, please!’

Lawyer: ‘If you can show me the legal difference between slow down and stop, I’ll give you my license and registration and you give me the ticket. If not, you let me go and don’t give me the ticket.’

Trooper: ‘Sounds fair. Exit your vehicle, sir.’

The trooper takes out his nightstick and starts beating the lawyer, asking, ‘Do you want me to stop, or just slow down?