Bad Java code with good intentions

My friend Deepak sent me a real-life example of the following Java code. Let's give the developer the credit of following defensive coding techniques. [Rather than calling him a dumb-a$$]

String flashPath = (String)request.getAttribute("flashPath");
String flashPathPath = flashPath.toString();

Sathya improved on it by adding checks

String flashPath = (String)request.getAttribute("flashPath");
If (flashPath instance of java.lang.String){
    String flashPathPath = flashPath.toString();
}

So let's work on this some more

String flashPath = (String)request.getAttribute("flashPath");
If (flashPath instance of java.lang.String){
            try{
               String flashPathPath = (String) flashPath.toString(); //Let's cast it once more to be sure, if it escaped the first time, it'll surely get caught here.
            }
            catch (ClassCastException e)
            {
               // Don’t cast it 
              String flashPathPath = flashPath.toString(); 
            }
}

Now this is open to all to further obfuscate.
How complicated can you make one line of code?