A man is in court.

The Judge says, "on the 3rd August
you are accused of killing your wife by beating her to
death with a hammer, how do you plead?"

"Guilty", said the man in the dock.

At this point a man at the back of the court stood up
and shouted "You dirty rat!"

The Judge asked the
man to site down and to refrain from making any
noise.

The Judge continued "..... and that also on the 17th
September you are accused of killing your son by
beating him to death with a hammer, how do you
plead"?

"Guilty", said the man in the dock.

Again the same man at the back stood up and
shouted even louder, "You dirty rotten stinking
rat"!!

At this point the Judge called the man to the bench
and said, "I have already asked you to be quiet, if
you continue with these outbursts, I will have to
charge you with contempt of court. I can understand
your feelings, but what relationship have you to this
man?"

He replied "He is my next door neighbor".

The Judge replied, "I can understand your feelings
then, but you must refrain from any comments".

The man replied "NO, your Honor, you don't
understand. Twice I have asked if I could borrow
a hammer, and BOTH TIMES he said he didn't
have one"!!!