As young state corruption prosecutors, my colleagues and I would often approach a senior investigator—let's call him "Joe"—known for insightful strategic advice. He was a retired FBI agent, "mailing in" his second law enforcement job. He was undeniably running the clock until his federal pension kicked in. When you approached him with a difficult problem he typically tried to discourage you from bringing the case altogether. With a "why bother me, youngblood" look on his face, he'd tell you, almost reflexively: "Big cases, big problems; small cases, small problems; no cases, no problems."