An Ohio judge this week ordered an assault victim to “pepper-spray” his alleged attacker in an open courtroom in his version of “eye for an eye” justice, according to New York’s WABC-TV.
But relax; it wasn’t real pepper spray. It was saline solution—you know, like the mixture used for contact lenses.
Here is what happened: Painesville Municipal Court Judge Michael Cicconetti on Thursday told Diamond Gaston that she could serve 30 days in jail or be pepper-sprayed by her victim, and she chose the second option, the television station reports.
Gaston, 20, of Painesville, apparently pepper-sprayed someone in the face during a confrontation at a fast-food restaurant, and Cicconetti ordered her to receive similar treatment in court in his spin on the ancient punishment.
But the Cleveland-area judge says he couldn’t really allow pepper spray, so “a harmless saline spray” was substituted without Gaston’s knowledge, the report says.
“[The victim] goes, ‘I'd really like to use pepper spray,’ and I said, ‘No, no. We can't do that!’” Cicconetti told WEWS-TV, based in Cleveland. He said what mattered was that the punishment sting emotionally, if not physically.
Gaston says she learned her lesson.
“He’s like, ‘Oh, it’s water,’ and I’m like, ‘Oh, OK. That’s a relief,’” Gaston told WKYC-TV, also based in Cleveland.
Cicconetti is known for occasionally issuing unusual sentences, the WABC-TV report says.
What do you think about the punishment? Let us know in comments.
Read more at WABC-TV.