Some judges complain about statutes that specify mandatory minimum sentences for criminal offenses  These legal restrictions, they complain, are too mechanical and prevent judges from deciding when a given individual can or cannot be rehabilitated  But that is precisely why mandatory minimum sentences are necessary  History amply demonstrates that when people are free to use their own judgment they invariably believe themselves to act wisely when in fact they are often arbitrary and irrational
There is no reason to think that judges are an exception to this rule
People believe that they have good judgment but never do.