An Ohio teenager who removed a life preserver ring from a park along Lake Erie in February has been sentenced to spend four Saturdays distributing Life Savers candy to park visitors this summer and educating them about how to respond to a potential drowning.
The 18-year-old high school student was sentenced Tuesday by Painesville Judge Michael Cicconetti, who is known for issuing unusual sentences.
Cicconetti says he considered having park rangers drop the young man in the lake but reconsidered because he seemed truly contrite. Instead, the judge let the student choose to educate visitors about water safety instead of spending up to two months in jail.
Cicconetti says his alternative sentencing is meant to be a meaningful deterrent to further offenses.
