medium · LSAT Reading Comprehension
When judges wish to avoid following an inconvenient precedent without openly overruling it, they often 'distinguish' the earlier case by identifying factual differences between it and the case before them. Though this technique lets the law adapt without formal reversal, it frequently generates intricate, strained reasoning, and the resulting tangle of fine distinctions makes it harder for citizens to predict how the law will apply to them.
According to the passage, the practice of distinguishing cases often produces which one of the following?
- Tangled, hard-to-follow reasoning that diminishes the law's predictability.
- The prompt overruling of decisions that have proven defective.
- A more efficient avenue for legislatures to repair judicial mistakes.
- Greater certainty for businesses and individuals about how the law applies.
- Reasoning so transparent that even non-lawyers can anticipate every ruling.
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