Taking his seat in his chambers, the judge faced the opposing lawyers. "So," he said, "I have been presented, by both of you, with a bribe."
The lawyers squirmed as he continued. To the one on his left he said, "You gave me $15,000."
To the other, he said, "And you, gave me $10,000."
The judge reached into his pocket and pulled out some cash. Handing it to the first one, he said, "Now then, I'm returning $5,000 and we're going to decide this case solely on its merits."