Outside my bailiwick

Every time a student tries to excuse clueless behavior by saying something like "It wasn't my intention to turn in my paper five days late" or "I never intended to plagiarize," I thank my lucky stars that the task of judging the thoughts and intents of the human heart does not fall within my bailiwick. I'll leave that task in more capable hands and concentrate instead on what the student actually did, not what he or she may or may not have intended.