Hubert was in the county pokey looking at 15 to 20 years for killing another man in a bar fight. He’d already accepted the fact that prison was a done-deal. They knew he did it, so “let’s get on with it.”

The public defender told the judge privately that his client had an unusual request before entering a “guilty” plea.

The judge allowed as how he’d listen to what the inmate had to say - “but it better be good!”

And it was. Hubert explained that he was ready to plead “guilty” to murder. At a rhythmic pace the defendant said, “They say, ‘if you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime,’ and I’m ready to do the time, Judge,”

The judge’s patience was getting thin. “What do you want from me?” the judge asked.

Hubert straightened up. “Well sir-your honor-I know that as soon as you pass my sentence, they’ll put me in a Department of Corrections van and carry me off to the state slams. And I got no problem with that.

“But if I go to the state now, they ain’t going to let me watch the Super Bowl game, and that’s a terrible way to treat a man, even if he did do a murder. Now, if the sheriff keeps me in the county jail until after the game, I can watch it, because we got cable up on our floor.”

The judge shook his head in amazement. Pointing with his gavel, the judge said to the prosecutor, “Ask the sheriff if he’ll keep this ‘dedicated fan’ in the county jail for one more week.”

Then the judge said in a soft, low growl: “Hubert, I’m giving you 18 years for murder. Enjoy the game.”