I’ve always been a goody-two shoes. Growing up, crime always seemed to be a distant occurence. I didn’t have any relatives, close friends or even acquaintances who were convicted of crimes.

I guess I’ve always thought that prison is a place where evil people with a lack of moral conscience end up. Recently, getting exposed to a range of criminal cases has allowed me to see crime in a new light. There are so many defendants who end up being charged with a crime because of a momentary slip-up, a bad decision made on the spot, or even just going about their daily businesses.

We’ve had a case of a defendant being charged for failing to provide information about the real identity of his companion to police officers when they came knocking on his door. If he had just told the truth there and then, he would not have been facing a prospective prison sentence, a load of legal fees, and possible termination of his career.

Then we’ve had cases of battery, outrage of modesty, abuse of public servant. Some cases are serious while others just scream “nonsense”. Some were truly unpreventable, but most were the result of poor decisions.

It just surprises me how easy it is to be charged with a crime. You could open a bank account for a friend in return for payment and be indicted for loanshark activities. You could accept a pill under peer pressure from a friend and be charged with drug consumption. You could get behind the wheel after a drinking session, convincing yourself that home is just a short drive away and traffic police officers won’t be in the way, but you end up being convicted of drunk driving. You could “borrow” some money from company funds and replace them subtly, but still be convicted of criminal breach of trust. You could make an uninformed purchase off the internet and end up being charged for conveying stolen goods.

Many crimes are a result of extremely poor decisions made on impulse, often propelled by greed and dishonesty. Perhaps some evade detection by a stroke of luck. This emboldens them to commit further crimes. Eventually, the law catches up with them and it becomes too late to regret.

Avoiding criminal charges is a simple matter altogether. If you’re a Christian, do whatever the Bible says. God’s moral standards are way higher than the standards imposed by law. If you’re a non-Christian, follow your moral conscience and remember what you learnt in values education lesson. Values like integrity, respect, generosity, responsibility, teamwork and such are time-honoured and will never go wrong.

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Don't always assume that you're too smart to be caught; 
Don't rely on luck, 
Because one day, luck will run out.