BUREAUCRACY WATCH : Flex Time

Bending the rules isn’t always the best policy, but some flexibility was certainly warranted recently during the State Bar exam after two good Samaritans helped another test-taker who had suffered an epileptic seizure and stopped breathing.

The rescuers put saving a life ahead of spending every second trying to pass the test, which is the passport to the practice of law.

John D. Leslie Jr., a former lifeguard trained as a paramedic, and Eunice Morgan, a registered nurse, lost valuable time when they administered CPR and stayed with the victim until an ambulance arrived.

They were not allowed to make up that time. Given the circumstances, their test period should have been extended.

State Bar officials say the unusual circumstances will be considered, and their scores adjusted, when the examination is scored. Good. No one should be penalized for saving a life.

And no one should be penalized for an official mistake not of their making. The Los Angeles city clerk’s office recently gave the wrong maps to candidates who were collecting signatures to qualify in several municipal races. As a result, hundreds of signatures were thrown out and dozens of candidates have been disqualified.

Once that mistake was known, the candidates deserved more time to collect valid signatures. Because no administrative remedy exists for this foul-up, several candidates are expected to take their cases to court.

The candidates deserve fairness, and a spot on the ballot.