Judge Gives 'Nasty' Texter a Writing Assignment

A judge on the Hawaiian island of Maui has handed down an unorthodox sentence to a man who pleaded no contest to violating a protection order preventing him from contacting his ex-girlfriend. Judge Rhonda Loo ordered Daren Young on Friday to write 144 compliments about his ex-girlfriend, in response to the 144 "nasty" text messages and calls that he's accused of sending her, the AP reports. "For every nasty thing you said about her, you're going to say a nice thing," Loo told Young. "No repeating words." She added: "It's so childish to think a grown man can be so thumb-happy." His ex sought the protection order, which was issued Feb. 22. He was ordered not to contact her, including by phone.

But two months later, Young called and texted her 144 times within a three-hour period, police say. "I don't know whether I should cut off your fingers or take away your phone to get you to stop texting," Loo told Young. "You probably shouldn't get a phone, period. I hope she changed her number." Young, 30, received time served for spending 157 days in jail before being sentenced, the Maui News reported. Besides being told to pay the compliments, he also received two years of probation, $2,400 in fines, and 200 hours of community service. Young told Loo he won't reach out to the ex-girlfriend again and is moving on with his life. (Read about another judge's unusual order.)