Bizarre, Courts, Society

Ohio Judge Sentences Women To Cooking Thanksgiving Dinner For Police Officers

We appear to have another judge acting as a little Caesar from the bench and meting out his brand of justice. In Ohio, Stark County Common Pleas Judge Frank Forchione has sentenced Valerie Rodgers, 46, to making Thanksgiving dinner for three police officers on leave or unable to work. In addition to the dinner, she will be on one-year probation for felony assault and three misdemeanors. This follows another judge who sentenced a teen to ten years of church.

Rodgers pleaded guilty to knocking over a police officer while he was directing traffic.

She has failed to yield to a traffic signal to stop and not turn left. Her lawyer says that she was confused and Jackson Township officer Eric Martzolf was thrown on his back. Forcing citizens to cook for police officers is another example of a judge who panders to the public with sentences that seem “poetic justice.” Judges know that this type of punishment is hugely popular with the public. It is a trend that is erasing the line between entertainment and the law. There has been a continuing and growing trend of this type of abuse by judges. I have written columns (here and here and here) and blogs articles (here and here and here and here and here) criticizing this worrisome trend, though the most serious such cases involve judges like Norman who try to bring “more people to Jesus” while carrying out his duties as a judicial officer. These judges make a mockery out of our court system and sit like little Caesars in meting out their own idiosyncratic forms of justice — often to the thrill of citizens. They degrade not just their courts in such novel sentencing but the legal system as a whole. This judge appears to relish his reputation as the gavel of God — sending felons to embrace faith.

I could not find the judge’s actual credentials but I did find his bio on “Stark County’s Most Eligible Singles” where he identifies his look-alike celebrity as Hugh Grant. You can be the judge by clicking (here) whether he is the most eligible single but I would have to keep him off the list of most competent jurists.

I was able to find an article where Forchione was seeking the position on the basis of starting “Canton’s war on child truancy” as a prosecutor. He graduated from University of Akron Law School in 1986.

Source: Canton Rep as first seen on Reddit.

28 thoughts on “Ohio Judge Sentences Women To Cooking Thanksgiving Dinner For Police Officers”

  1. A Judge not condemning a person will get criticism from condemners. She would be serving the police. The greatest ion the kingdom of heaven are those that serve.

  2. Wonder what the recidivism rates are for these folks sentenced so “creatively.”

  3. junctionshamus has been around. Even though Leavenworth had their own pig farm and some of the best pork ever. And, even though the meals were dirt cheap, I brought my lunch.

  6. BettyKath, I know how to make a loaf of sweet pumpkin bread while accidentally using salt instead of sugar!

    And I’m learning how to make a casserole with twinkies and tunafish! 😈

  7. The judge is lacking in, well, a lot. Not all women cook. And some of those who do, shouldn’t. He may really be punishing the cops. May he join them for dinner. If it were my sentence, I know how to dry out the outside of a turkey while leaving the inside raw, make mushy yams, sour cranberry sauce, lumpy mashed potatoes and lumpy gravy. Pumpkin pies with extra nutmeg and apple pies without sugar.

  9. sorry, but when you said “. . . another judge acting as a little Caesar . . . ” all I could think was So, they are having crappy pizza for dinner?

  10. Now, now, now…… What’s that show arsenic and old lace….. Waiting for the cat a nine tails……. That’s next….

  11. What else would you expect from Stark County? But if your looking for people of Stark County to be outraged and actually do something about it, you might look at their last election.

    The chief deputy, Mike McDonald, in charge of the jail when a half dozen women came forward with abuse claims, and the Hope Steffey case went national (search YouTube), was elected as Sheriff!!!!

    Because of those lawsuits for those abuses, the county’s premiums for the policy jumped from $34,261 in 2008 to $145,350 in 2009. In 2010, the county paid $193,350

    So $2855 a month jumps to OVER $16,000 a MONTH!! And this was three years ago.

    Plus the deductible went from $100,000 to $250,000, so the next lawsuits will cost the county even more money up front.

    So in spite of McDonald costing the county what will turn out to be millions of dollars, they put him in charge of everything.

    These people/voters clearly deserve the incompetent government they have.

  14. The accused should appeal just for the spite of it, drag it on and cost the county big amounts of money for this joke, maybe that will be the what disuades the judge. I heard talk, I don’t know if this is true, but some judges take it personal when appeals courts overturn their rulings. That would be good medicine for him.

    On another note, Looking on the webpage of Stark County’s most eligible singles admittedly I would vote Dr. Mona Shay as the winner. What a catch she would be for someone. (someone else that is since I am happily married) 🙂 And a welcome departure from the boring fashion styles of today. Intelligent and unconventional; all a guy could ask for.

  16. I posted a link to this on the “sentenced to church” thread. I’m just as appalled and amazed as the first time I read about it but in his dating profile it says “I Spend My Alone Time: Reading anything I can get my hands on”. Apparently that doesn’t include law.

  20. Given this trend I can see some Judges reintroducing “Stocks”into town squares. As for this Turkey thinking he looks like Hugh Grant, I think not, more like Jim Nabors. Finally, this woman’s cooking might be doing the policeman no favors. Public Hangings, Bread and Circusses anyone?

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