Drunk Driver Opts for 'I'm Stupid' Sign

Man chooses to wear the sign, not do the time
By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 10, 2008 8:31 PM CDT
Drunk Driver Opts for 'I'm Stupid' Sign
A crash test dummy in a crash test car.   (AP Photo)

A Wisconsin drunk driver who crashed into a water treatment plant has chosen humiliation over jail time, WEAU reports. Instead of serving a sentence for property damage, Shane McQuillan, 22, who admitted he was “just being stupid,” was sentenced to wear a sign reading “I was stupid.” The judge often offers such punishment by sign, and said “it’s an option for the person. It's not something that's forced on them.”

“It's a difficult thing to do if you think about it for yourself,” said Judge Paul Lenz, who added that criminals usually prefer to do the time than wear the sign. “It's basically a public acknowledgment that what you did was wrong and that's difficult for people to do. It’s also for others who might think about doing that type of behavior to think about.” (More courts stories.)

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