A new study shows that judges are a lot like toddlers: They get crabby when they're hungry.
FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane
FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts
Researchers in the U.S. and Israel decided to test the adage that justice comes down to "what the judge ate for breakfast." They studied more than 1,000 rulings by Israeli judges who were deciding whether to grant parole to prisoners.
FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane
FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts
It turns out the judges were most lenient first thing in the morning and right after lunch, the Associated Press reports. At the start of a morning court session, 65 percent of prisoners received a favorable ruling, but the prisoners' luck faded to zero by lunchtime. Then, after a mid-day meal break, favorable rulings jumped back up to 65 percent.
The bottom line: Just like preschoolers, judges need snack breaks.














