Judge Offers Keene Pumpkin Fest Rioters Chance to Lower Fines By Talking to Kids
Those found guilty of disorderly conduct committed during the 2014 Keene Pumpkin Festival have been given the option to lower their $1,000 fine if they talk to elementary classrooms.
Judge Edward J. Burke told the guilty they can pay $200 less for each elementary classroom they visit as long as they give a "sincere presentation" about how their actions led to the cancellation of the festival.
I love it when Judges make rulings like this. It's creative and I can see the good it could do. It's a form of shaming that certainly would embarrass me enough to never do something like that again.
On the other hand, I'm not sure how this will be enforced. A "sincere presentation" seems subjective. What do they want the kid to do, go up in front of the classroom and start sobbing?
Will the schools even allow a grown man to stand in front of a class of 1st graders and talk about climbing a telephone poll to throw beers at cops? That seems a little over their head.
I'm not from Keene, and frankly I've never been to the Pumpkin Festival, but I feel like a more fitting punishment would be to have the guilty go to local businesses and apologize.