249- GOOD JOB, JUDGE

GRUBBY HANDS IN THE TILL
A wonderful idea judge, good work, kudos.
I think this is one of the most innovative sentences I've heard lately.........The Superior Court handed down yesterday a suspended sentence against a former cashier of a local Health Center who had been convicted of stealing some $6,926.40 from the hospital's collection.
Superior Court associate judge David A. Wiseman sentenced a thief to one year in prison, all suspended. Following a plea agreement, Wiseman placed the thief on one year of supervised probation. The judge also required the thief to write a letter of apology to the victim and perform 120 hours of community work service.
As part of the community work service, the defendant must create an hour-long presentation that explains her actions, what led to them, why they were wrong, and what harm they caused the community, to herself, and to her family.
The defendant will also be asked to explain what crimes she was convicted of, what that means, what the court process was, what it is like to be a convicted felon, what previous rights and privileges she has lost forever because of this conviction, and advise her audiences how not to let this happen to them.
The defendant must make this presentation once each month, said Wiseman in the order issued on Wednesday.
For the first six months, the judge said, the defendant must make the presentation to each of the public junior/senior high schools in the CNMI-beginning on Tinian, going to Rota, and finishing with the schools on Saipan.
When finished with the schools, the defendant must present at six additional locations-to be determined by the Office of Adult Probation, Wiseman said.
The judge ordered the defendant to pay full restitution in the amount of $6,926.40.
The defendant was directed to pay a $500 fine and $25 in court assessment fee plus another amount of probation fees. Good job, well done. .......GED.......