impact vs. influence

Hulk Hogan’s son Nick Bollea is getting out of jail nearly three months early thanks to good behavior and a strong work ethic, People reported.

Bollea has been serving an eight-month sentence for reckless driving that left 22-year-old John Graziano seriously injured.

Bollea is now due to be released Oct. 21.

“It’s standard procedure,” said Graziano’s lawyer, George Tragos. “There is no way for us to impact his release date, that’s not within our control. It’s a formula worked out by the sheriff.”

Thankfully, there IS a way for us to influence Tragos’ diction. He should know impact is a noun, not a verb. It cannot act upon something. Tragos should’ve said there is no way to influence, affect or alter his release date. (Influence can operate as a noun and a verb, so when in doubt, use influence.)

Heeding that oft-neglected guideline wins the kind of brownie points that would get anyone out of jail early.