Judge — January 29, 1927 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Judge Magazine: "The Lesson" This satirical comic depicts a judge presiding over what appears to be a reckless driving case. The narrative follows a chaotic sequence: a speeding automobile causes mayhem, with pedestrians and objects flying everywhere. The final panel shows the judge instructing the driver to "See, that's the way!"—suggesting the judge is ironically endorsing or demonstrating the dangerous driving behavior rather than punishing it. The satire critiques judicial leniency toward wealthy or connected drivers and the failure of courts to meaningfully punish traffic violations during the automobile age. The judge's backwards "lesson" mocks how the legal system failed to deter or properly penalize reckless motorists, a growing social problem in early 20th-century America as cars became more common.