It may seem like a punishment right out of a sitcom, but a Cleveland Municipal court judge has sentenced a Cleveland woman to wear a sign that says, “Only an idiot drives on the sidewalk to avoid a school bus.” Based on the text of the sign it’s not hard to guess what she did that landed her in front of a judge in the first place.
Rather than being inconvenienced by the obnoxious delay of a school bus stopping to safely load and unload children, 32-year-old Shena Hardin opted to take the path less traveled and simply circumvent the bus by driving on the sidewalk. Now, in addition to having her license suspended for 30 days and paying a $250 fine, Hardin is required to stand at an intersection on two consecutive days from 7:45 to 8:45 am while wearing a sign alerting drivers to her poor decision making skills.
The Cleveland judge’s unusual ruling calls to mind Ohio judge Michael Cicconetti, who became famous for his brand of “creative justice,” often giving defendants a choice between jail time and a punishment designed to fit the crime. Some of Cicconetti’s most noteworthy punishments include: sentencing two teenagers who scrawled 666 on a nativity figure of Jesus to lead a donkey through the streets while wearing a sign saying, “Sorry for the jackass offense.” and requiring a man who verbally assaulted police officers to stand on a street corner with a pig and a sign stating, “This is not a police officer.”
Whether or not the unconventional punishment will have any impact on Hardin’s driving habits remains to be seen. However, Cleveland pedestrians can at least be assured Hardin won’t be driving on any sidewalks for the next couple mornings.
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/question_everything/4491924922/
Andy Gillin received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California at Berkeley and his law degree from the University of Chicago. He is the managing partner of GJEL Accident Attorneys and has written and lectured in the field of plaintiffs’ personal injury law for numerous organizations. Andy is a highly recognized wrongful death lawyer in California.