Mother outraged over judge's sentence for hair-cutting teen

[Hum]

PRICE ? The mother of a 13-year-old girl says she has filed a formal complaint against a juvenile court judge who told her he'd cut her daughter's sentence if she cut off the girl's ponytail in his courtroom.

"She definitely needed to be punished for what had happened," Valerie Bruno told the KSL. "But I never dreamt it would be that much of a punishment."

Bruno's daughter, Kaytlen Lopan, was referred to 7th District Juvenile Judge Scott Johansen's court in March for an allegation of assault. Lopan and a friend endeared themselves to a 3-year-old girl at McDonald's in Price and then used scissors to cut several inches of hair from the little girl's head, according to Price police.

"It was beautiful, it was long, it had natural curl, and now it's cut up to here," said the victim's mother, Mindy Moss, gesturing to her jawline.

Lopan blamed the incident on her 11-year-old friend, but the friend told investigators the girls had decided to cut the toddler's hair and didn't have any scissors. They tried to borrow some from McDonald's employees, but when they were turned down, they walked across the street and bought scissors from a dollar store.

"After acquiring the scissors, they returned to McDonald's, where they both took a turn ? cutting some of the little girl's hair off the back of her head," Price police officer Robb Radley wrote in his report.

At a May 28 hearing, Lopan entered admissions in the assault case, as well as another case stemming from eight months of phone calls she made to another teen in Colorado that included threats of rape and mutilation, according to an audio recording of the hearing provided to the KSL by Bruno.

Johansen called the girl's behavior "egregious." He ordered her to serve 30 days in detention, pay restitution to her victims and serve 276 hours of community service.

Then, he offered Bruno a deal.

"I'm going to give you this option: I will cut that by 150 hours if you want to cut her hair right now," Johansen said.

"Right now," the judge said. "I'll go get a pair of scissors and we'll whack that ponytail off."

Moss, the victim's mother, was in the courtroom and fully supported the penalty. She even spoke up when she didn't believe Bruno had cut enough of Lopan's ponytail off.

"Satisfied? Is it short enough?" Johansen asked Moss.

"No," she replied. "My daughter's hair that had never been cut, that was down to (the middle of her back), was cut up to here."

"Take it off clear up to the rubberband," the judge told Bruno, who protested that the scissors he'd given her weren't up to the task.

"Take a little bit at a time," Johansen said.

Moss told the KSL she was "happy" with the sanction.

"Why shouldn't she get her hair cut?" she said. "The other little girl had to get her hair cut. It fits the crime."

full story

[DocM]

Good for the Judge: appropriate justice!!

Little brat deserved it.

[ArKeYa]

It was an option. She should have refused it if she has any problem with it.

[TheLegendOfMart]

Badly written article I had trouble following it.

Also, its hair, big freaking deal.

[Roger H. Veteran]

"Eye for an eye" kinda judgement, in this case i love it. (Y)

Nothing to protest about as she kinda got off free, it's hair and it will grow back so big deal if the judge cut it. She'll (the kid) remember this as a punishment for the rest of her life. Mom protesting is retarded, unless she rathered her kid get sent to juve for a longer term and have to more more community service? :blink:

[Pupik]

Badly written article I had trouble following it.

Also, its hair, big freaking deal.

By the title I'm gonna guess it happened in USA; where they make a storm out of a rain drop. So nothing unusual.

[pack34]

Badly written article I had trouble following it.

Also, its hair, big freaking deal.

Many are quite emotionally attached to their hair, especially when they spend years growing it out. However, this was a very appropriate option to reduce the sentence.

[Guest nicconics]

By the title I'm gonna guess it happened in USA; where they make a storm out of a rain drop. So nothing unusual.

That being said maybe you dont understand what assault is considered?

In law, assault is a crime which involves causing a victim to apprehend violence.

Since the 13 year old did not have the permission of the 3 year old's mother this is constituted as assault. And as such the judge doled out a form of eye for an eye punishment with the exception he lop off 150 hours of community service for her cutting HER hair. I also guess you missed the part of the article where she was threatening threats of rape and mutilation to a girl in Colorado. But I am sure you did read that part since everyone always reads the entire article right? And yes, this did happen in the US.

[moloko]

good cut hair and still had to do community service. Little brat

[remixedcat]

LOL this whole thing is funny...a more fitting punishment....

[techbeck]

It is hair....it GROWS back. These people need to stop bitching and get on with their lives.

[jakem1]

It's sad that something as trivial as this ended up in court.

[Growled Member]

The brat got what she deserved.

[SharpGreen]

It is hair....it GROWS back. These people need to stop bitching and get on with their lives.

This ^^

I wasn't aware cutting someone's hair was crime.

[Vandalsquad]

Losing 150 hours off the sentence for cutting her hair should be a godsend.

[jerzdawg]

Thumbs up for this judge. This was a mostly harmless prank that required some form of punishment and I think it was brilliant on the judges part. As others have said, they had a chance to decline the "deal' and take the longer sentence.

[Charisma Veteran]

This ^^

I wasn't aware cutting someone's hair was crime.

Well, it is, it's part of one's body and you cutting it off, smearing gum in it, doing anything to damage it without consent is considered assault. I would be 31 flavours of ****ed off if someone cut my hair, it's super long and I take good care of it and it takes years and years to grow it out.

I think the punishment fits the crime, and the mom needs to STFU.