The Houston Chronicle has a strange but true tale on newly elected state district judge Kevin Fine, who is a recovering cocaine addict with more tattoos than Henry Rollins.

Fine's story has been hotly debated on the Chron site -- as of this writing there are 255 comments -- but I, for one, don't think you should have a perfect past to be a judge. If anything, a checkered personal history can help you bring more insight and perspective to the bench.

What worries me instead about Fine is that he is fond of using the language of recovering addicts, which is the exact opposite of the language of a judge. If a good jurist talks frankly, sternly and precisely -- a recovering addict often speaks affirmatively, vaguely and somewhat oddly. To wit, here is Fine talking about the moment he hit rock bottom as an addict:

"I was out of cocaine. I was out of money. And the four horsemen of addiction — terror, bewilderment, frustration and despair — were on their way ... That's when the devil shows up. It's like he's holding my heart in his hand, laughing at me, saying, 'I got you again!'"

Judge Fine, I admire your resolve. But you're scaring me a little. I kind of want my judges to be -- in addition to fair and wise -- boring, predictable and decidedly shy. Maybe that's just me. Anyhow, good luck.

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