[quote]A woman caught on camera driving on a sidewalk to pass a Cleveland school bus was ordered this week to hold a sign at the intersection reading, "Only an idiot would drive on the sidewalk to avoid a school bus." It was the latest example of creative, and sometimes controversial, sentences handed out by judges to publicly shame offenders. Some other examples from around the country:
UTAH: PONYTAIL CUT OFF
The mother of a 13-year-old Utah girl chopped off her daughter's ponytail in court in order to reduce her community service sentence.
The teen had landed in court in May because she and another girl used dollar-store scissors to cut off the hair of a 3-year-old they had befriended at a McDonald's.
A judge agreed to reduce the teen's community service time if her mother chopped off her daughter's ponytail in court. The mother has since filed a formal complaint, saying the judge in Price intimidated her into the eye-for-an-eye penalty.
--
HOUSTON: `I AM A THIEF'
Daniel and Eloise Mireles were convicted of stealing more than $265,000 from the crime victims fund in Harris County, Texas.
In addition to restitution and jail time, the Houston couple were sentenced in July 2010 to stand in front of the local mall for five hours every weekend for six years with a sign reading, "I am a thief."
A sign was also posted outside their house stating they were convicted thieves.
--
PENNSYLVANIA: `I STOLE FROM A 9-YEAR-OLD'
Western Pennsylvania residents Evelyn Border and her daughter, Tina Griekspoor, 35, were caught stealing a gift card from a child inside a Wal-Mart.
In November 2009, the Bedford County district attorney said he would recommend probation instead of jail time because the women stood in front of the courthouse for 4 1/2 hours holding signs reading, "I stole from a 9-year-old on her birthday! Don't steal or this could happen to you!"
--
WISCONSIN: `I WAS STUPID'
A man who crashed his car into the gates at a Wisconsin waste water treatment plant spent eight hours holding a sign saying, "I was stupid."
Shane McQuillan decided he would rather do that than spend 20 days in jail on a charge of criminal damage to property.
McQuillan had a blood alcohol level of 0.238 percent, nearly three times the legal limit for driving, at the time of the 2008 accident in Eau Claire.
--
OHIO: `SORRY FOR THE JACKASS OFFENSE'
An Ohio judge ordered a man and woman who vandalized a baby Jesus statue in a church's outdoor nativity to march through town with a donkey to apologize.
Jessica Lange and Brian Patrick admitted to defacing the statue at St. Anthony Roman Catholic Church on Christmas Eve 2003. They led a donkey provided by a petting zoo through the streets of Fairport Harbor carrying a sign that said, "Sorry for the jackass offense."
After the 30-minute march, the pair were taken to serve 45-day sentences that included drug and alcohol treatment. They also were ordered to replace the statue.
--
TEXAS: FROM COURTHOUSE TO DOGHOUSE
Curtis Robin Sr. made a deal with Texas prosecutors to spend 30 consecutive nights in a 2-by-3-foot doghouse after pleading guilty to whipping his stepson with a car antenna.
Robin served the sentence outside his home in Vidor in 2003 so he could avoid jail time and continue working as a foreman for a demolition company.
Police were assigned to randomly check on Robin to ensure he was in the doghouse each night from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Robin was allowed to have a sleeping bag, mosquito netting, plastic tarp or similar protective items.[/quote]
[url=http://www.policeone.com/bizarre/articles/6035224-Justice-served-examples-of-court-ordered-shaming/]Source[/url]
[quote] ...sentenced in July 2010 to stand in front of the local mall for five hours every weekend for six years with a sign reading, "I am a thief."[/quote]
"hey wanna hang out this weeken- OH WAIT"
sounds like an episode of Boston Legal
a good amount of these are just cruel and unusual punishment. i most disagree with this one though.
[quote]HOUSTON: `I AM A THIEF'
Daniel and Eloise Mireles were convicted of stealing more than $265,000 from the crime victims fund in Harris County, Texas.
In addition to restitution and jail time, the Houston couple were sentenced in July 2010 to stand in front of the local mall for five hours every weekend for six years with a sign reading, "I am a thief."
A sign was also posted outside their house stating they were convicted thieves.[/quote]
just have them pay back the money and give them some jail time or w/e.
damn. 5 hours every weekend for six years. That would be hell on earth.
I suppose stealing 265,000 is a lot of money though. Justified if they couldn't pay it back, and were taking this over jailtime.
a good amount of these are just cruel and unusual punishment. i most disagree with this one though.
[quote]HOUSTON: `I AM A THIEF'
Daniel and Eloise Mireles were convicted of stealing more than $265,000 from the crime victims fund in Harris County, Texas.
In addition to restitution and jail time, the Houston couple were sentenced in July 2010 to stand in front of the local mall for five hours every weekend for six years with a sign reading, "I am a thief."
A sign was also posted outside their house stating they were convicted thieves.[/quote]
just have them pay back the money and give them some jail time or w/e.
[editline]13th November 2012[/editline]
double toast as fuck.
[editline]13th November 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=simsfreak63;38440719]damn. 5 hours every weekend for six years. That would be hell on earth.
I suppose stealing 265,000 is a lot of money though. Justified if they couldn't pay it back, and were taking this over jailtime.[/QUOTE]
"if you can't pay back the money you owe we get to ruin your life with forced labor"
[QUOTE=Kybalt;38440812]"if you can't pay back the money you owe we get to ruin your life with forced labor"[/QUOTE]
Yep, thats jail.. They almost got off easy by getting to only have to sit there with a sign. You know some people get 1000's of hours of community service
Too bad they don't have child molesters carry signs up and down their block, so everyone in the neighborhood knows they are there.
Instead of getting jailtime, those caught on Dateline NBC's 'To Catch a Predator' should have to wear large pins saying "I am a pedophile, and I am forced to wear this pin instead of serving jailtime. Please don't trust me with your children.".
it's not cruel or unusual punishment
remember, this is an alternative CHOICE from going to jail.
[quote]--
OHIO: `SORRY FOR THE JACKASS OFFENSE'
An Ohio judge ordered a man and woman who vandalized a baby Jesus statue in a church's outdoor nativity to march through town with a donkey to apologize.
Jessica Lange and Brian Patrick admitted to defacing the statue at St. Anthony Roman Catholic Church on Christmas Eve 2003. They led a donkey provided by a petting zoo through the streets of Fairport Harbor carrying a sign that said, "Sorry for the jackass offense."
After the 30-minute march, the pair were taken to serve 45-day sentences that included drug and alcohol treatment. They also were ordered to replace the statue.
--[/quote]
That's good ol' judge Cicconetti for ya. He does sentences like that all the time. Wikipedia has a good list of stuff that he's sentenced people to.
I know a guy who's going to prison for stealing 120k worth of stuff over the last few weeks including cars, electronics and other stuff in the most stupid crime spree ever, after already being on probation for previous crimes, which he avoided a sentence for very narrowly.
He just doesn't care, but he'd be petrified to do any punishment like these and stand publicly accountable. When you meet people like this who refuse to be better people no matter what the world throws at them you open up to bizarre punishments a bit. I imagine it'd be quite character building for the right criminals.
I have a question -- since when has Facepunch advocated for public shaming as an acceptable form of criminal punishment? Public humiliation is about as barbaric as it gets.
[QUOTE=Kybalt;38440812]
"if you can't pay back the money you owe we get to ruin your life with forced labor"[/QUOTE]
So you mean like the prison system anyway?
And community service doesn't count as slave labor either?
[QUOTE=Beetle179;38443724]I have a question -- since when has Facepunch advocated for public shaming as an acceptable form of criminal punishment? Public humiliation is about as barbaric as it gets.[/QUOTE]
It actually seems like it could be more effective in preventing future offenses than just paying a fine or doing a set number of hours of jail-time or community service. And it's not exactly common or for everyday cases.
[quote]
HOUSTON: `I AM A THIEF'
Daniel and Eloise Mireles were convicted of stealing more than $265,000 from the crime victims fund in Harris County, Texas.
In addition to restitution and jail time, the Houston couple were sentenced in July 2010 to stand in front of the local mall for five hours every weekend for six years with a sign reading, "I am a thief."
A sign was also posted outside their house stating they were convicted thieves.[/quote]
[quote]six years[/quote]
Yeah okay that's a little harsh
[QUOTE=Ybbats;38444146][IMG]http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_md37ifXKOC1rezbgzo1_1280.jpg[/IMG]
[/QUOTE]
ALL THE FUCKING TIME, EVERY FUCKING DAY!
I have three god damned cats and they're all fucking guilty of this. Mainly two of them, but the older one occasionally does this, too.
[QUOTE=Ybbats;38444104]It actually seems like it could be more effective in preventing future offenses than just paying a fine or doing a set number of hours of jail-time or community service. And it's not exactly common or for everyday cases.[/QUOTE]
Somebody of a criminal mindset would, when embarrassed, not be put off doing it again; more likely, they would just get angry. "Revenge" comes to mind.
There is nothing rehabilitating about public humiliation. Facepunch can't [del]circlejerk[/del] preach about how criminal punishment should be rehabilitating and support shame as a form of punishment simultaneously. Or if there is, somebody please enlighten me to how.
[QUOTE=Beetle179;38444569]Somebody of a criminal mindset would, when embarrassed, not be put off doing it again; more likely, they would just get angry. "Revenge" comes to mind.
There is nothing rehabilitating about public humiliation. Facepunch can't [del]circlejerk[/del] preach about how criminal punishment should be rehabilitating and support shame as a form of punishment simultaneously. Or if there is, somebody please enlighten me to how.[/QUOTE]
Some people have little to no sense of right or wrong when taking their own interests into account, even if they actually know it's wrong, they may not 'feel' it. Making them feel guilty and shameful would be an excellent way for people like this to grow humility and learn not to make the same kind of mistakes.
You're right in that it may make some worse, but I guess that's why if you institutionalise public humiliation you be very picky about who you administer the punishment to. As someone else said, it might be a good deterrent too.
[QUOTE=Keeshond v2;38445661]Some people have little to no sense of right or wrong when taking their own interests into account, even if they actually know it's wrong, they may not 'feel' it. Making them feel guilty and shameful would be an excellent way for people like this to grow humility and learn not to make the same kind of mistakes.[/QUOTE]
If a dude has no sense of right or wrong and/or doesn't feel much in the way of remorse, how exactly will publicly humiliating him suddenly give him the gift of humility? That's just gonna piss him off, and then you've got a dude with little to no morals who hates the local township, and that just sounds like a whole lot more trouble than it's worth.
[QUOTE=DuCT;38443549]That's good ol' judge Cicconetti for ya. He does sentences like that all the time. Wikipedia has a good list of stuff that he's sentenced people to.[/QUOTE]
Sorry for being uneducated but does that mean that as a judge i can make up sentences myself? Like make someone sing justin beiber songs while being dressed in womans clothes?
[QUOTE]Utah[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Texas[/quote]
nuff said
Gods, I still can't believe you folks don't actually have nulla poena sine lege
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.
