Judge Sentences Man to 12 Sundays in Church

The Cincinnati Enquirer has the story of an Ohio judge known for his unusual sentences who on Wednesday issued some divine intervention on behalf of a 23-year-old found guilty of misdemeanor attempted assault. Jake Strotman was coming from dollar-beer night at a local hockey game on Jan. 23 when he found himself in the middle of a brawl between Baptist street preachers and a man angry at their proselytizing. Strotman says he didn't mean to get into the fight, and he definitely didn't mean to strike one of the preachers in the face.

Strotman was facing 90 days in jail when Judge William Mallory asked if anyone had any alternative ideas for a punishment. Strotman had an idea. "Your honor, if I may, I would be more than happy to serve a church of your choosing." So instead of jail, Strotman will spend 90 minutes of his next 12 Sundays attending services at the victim's Baptist church. "Three months, that's not that bad,'' Strotman, a Catholic, says. "I'm going to listen with both my ears and keep my mouth shut." Read the full story here. (More weird crimes stories.)