A lawyer runs a stop sign and gets pulled over by a sheriff’s deputy.

He thinks that he is smarter than the deputy because he is a lawyer from California and is certain that he has a better education then any cop from Montana. He decides to prove this to himself and have some fun at the Montana deputy’s expense.

The deputy says, "License and registration, please."

"What for?" says the lawyer.

The deputy says, "You didn’t come to a complete stop at the stop sign."

Then the lawyer says, "I slowed down, and no one was coming."

"You still didn’t come to a complete stop," says the deputy. Licence and registration, please."

The lawyer says, "What’s the difference?"

"The difference is you have to come to complete stop, that’s the law. Licence and registration, please!" the Deputy says.

Lawyer says, "If you can show me the legal difference between slow down and stop, I'll give you my licence and registration; and you give me the ticket. If not, you let me go and don’t give me the ticket."

"That sounds fair. Please exit your vehicle, sir," the deputy says.

At this point, the deputy takes out his nightstick and starts beating the lawyer and says, "Do you want me to stop, or just slow down?"