Judge Michael Cicconetti is an US judge who often offers the choice of punishment to the defendants. The defendants can choose between an "oldscool" regular punishment and a creative Cicconetti special penalization that addresses the feelings of the defendants´ victims.
Some more or less funny examples:
- During heavy blizzards, he ordered defendants to clear snow at a retirement home.
- A man caught with a loaded gun was sent to a morgue to see corpses.
- A woman who abandoned 35 kittens in a forest spent a night in the woods.
- A man who shot a dog was sentenced to donating 40 lbs of dog food on every holiday to the Lake County Animal Shelter.
- Two teenagers who scrawled 666 on a nativity figure of Jesus had to lead a donkey through the streets, with a sign saying: "Sorry for the jackass offense, but he is soooo cute!
- Teenagers who flattened tires on school buses were ordered to throw a picnic for the primary school children whose outing was cancelled due to the prank.
- A man who shouted "pigs" at police officers was made to stand on a street corner with a 350-pound pig and a sign that said "This is not a police officer."
- An 18 year old male who stole pornography from an adult book store was ordered to sit outside the store wearing a blindfold and holding a sign that read "See no evil."
- Three men soliciting sex were ordered to wear chicken suits holding signs that read "No Chicken Ranch in Painesville".
- In January 2008, Cicconetti sentenced a man who stole a red collection kettle with about $250 from the Salvation Army to spend 24 hours homeless
- A woman who was convicted of stealing from a church was ordered to spell out the sentence "I stole coins from this church" entirely in coins and apologize to each worshipper as they enter the church.
- A woman who skipped out on a cab fare was ordered to walk 30 miles in 48 hours. Thirty miles was the length the cab had driven her before she skipped out on the fare.
- A woman who pleaded guilty to assault for using pepper spray on a man was given the choice to serve 30 days in jail or serve three days of community service and be shot herself with pepper spray. After agreeing to the latter she was sprayed and found out it was only water.
I don´t oppose his special judgements, the more so as they optional. Really OK. What´s your opinion?
But I wonder what the legal basis for this is. Can someone explain that?
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