Isn't There a Proverb About Excessive Footnotes?

 

Don't get me wrong, Magistrate Judge Goodman's orders are always a treat and I particularly enjoy the various and far-ranging references sprinkled therein.

In this one he goes to elaborate lengths in a footnote to explain the old precautionary principle "it's better to be safe than sorry":

To invoke a well-known proverb, Jorda may have been best served by following the rule that it is “better to be safe than sorry.” This popular idiom means “it’s wiser to be cautious and careful than to be hasty or rash and so do something you may later regret.” The saying is well-known enough to be used in popular music. For example, singer/songwriter Alicia Keys used the proverb in “Un-thinkable (I’m Ready),” a remix she performed with hip-hop artist Drake. http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/better (last visited March 19, 2012); http://www.lyricsondemand.com/a/aliciakeyslyrics/unthinkableimreadyremix1lyrics.html (last visited March 19, 2012).

Ok, the Alicia Keys cite is a bit of a stretch but it does show creativity.

More importantly, if you don't already know the meaning of this idiom you probably have no business practicing law.

Finally, speaking of footnotes, I'm pretty sure the footnotes in this order exceed the text -- Judge, as a famous and sultry singer once crooned, "put it in a love song."