• Update to anyone following this: this compile-time exception to normal T-SQL CASE short circuiting[/url] is now scheduled to be fixed in an upcoming SQL release, thanks to Gianluca for filing the Connect bug. For now the problem behavior still exists in SQL2005 through SQL2008R2 -- and maybe SQL2000 -- so keep an eye out for it in existing releases as you use CASE for short-circuiting.