Wauseon, OH – Judge Orders Criminals To Wear T’s That Fits The Crime

Wauseon, OH – I did the crime, I did the time, and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.

Such a reaction could crop up in Fulton County, where a no-nonsense judge is requiring some criminals to wear customized clothing in public: neon green shirts with large, black letters announcing, “I’m a thief.”

To curb crime and provide a form of public punishment, Western District Court Judge Jeff Robinson recently introduced the “criminali-tees,” and so far several convicted shoplifters, while performing community service, have worn the garish, attention-grabbing garments.

The shirts aren’t designed to be a fashion statement, but rather a statement of fact, a wash-and-wear way to help weave criminals back into the social fabric.

Public punishment, the judge said, serves as a deterrent, particularly at a time when more people are being tempted to steal from others.

When the economy started to tank, the judge noticed “what appeared to be a huge uptake in the number of shoplifting cases occurring in the community.”

During one proceeding, he asked a thief how she expected to get away with stealing stuff from a busy retail store, and she seemed rather proud to know security cameras can’t spot shoplifters in a particular area, he said.

After that, he decided shoplifters needed to “suffer a little bit of humility.” And, he said, a message needed to be sent to others that being a thief isn’t something they want to get involved in.

The shirts, the judge said, are not worn with a sense of pride, and the message appears to be having its desired effect. “Shoplifting cases are down,” he said, but he added that the shirts alone aren’t the reason. Enforcement efforts have stepped up.

Judge Robinson’s line of criminal wear isn’t limited to thieves.

One man, for instance, was ordered to wear a T-shirt with “I starved my horses to death” on it, the judge said, but before the shirt was made, the offender – who was to wear the shirt while shoveling manure in the horse barns at the Fulton County Fairgrounds – was sent to prison on a felony charge.

Offenders hesitant
Reaction from violators to the T-shirt requirement, which can cause public humiliation, has been predictable.

“Do I really have to wear this?” offenders ask. At least one shoplifter offered to pay a stiffer fine instead.

A convicted shoplifter who did court-ordered community service at the Open Door of Delta, an outreach center, didn’t want to wear the shirt where she would be seen, Executive Director Cherie Mercer said.

“I told her this is the agreement with the court and she did it,” she said. The offender was assigned to work in the high-traffic area of the complex’s thrift store. If customers had reactions, they kept comments to themselves, Mrs. Mercer said.

Community response so far, Mr. Mann said, has been pretty positive, particularly from law enforcement officials.

“Police officers think it is a good idea,” he said.

Mark Powers, a lawyer in Fulton County who represents clients who come before Judge Robinson, said he’s aware of the shirts, but hasn’t seen anyone wearing one in public. So far, none of his clients has been ordered to wear them, but “I am sure that will happen,” he said.

And when it does, he’ll be OK with it, even if his clients aren’t.

But if the shirt fits …

“Quite frankly, the idea is to get people to not do this and if that is an effective way to not do that, it serves its purpose,” Mr. Powers said.

It’s sort of like the old days of pillory, Mr. Powers said, when people were punished by public humiliation, with heads and hands secured in a metal or wooden framework device. “If it keeps them from doing it again, it wasn’t the worst thing to try to do.”

Others, however, aren’t quite sure what to make of the personalized clothing.

A couple of churches have been “kind of apprehensive” about the shirts, said Mr. Mann who links offenders with places where they can perform court-ordered community service.

The churches didn’t flat out refuse, and would allow the shirt-wearing offenders on their properties if no other community-service opportunities were available, he said.

Most places, however, have been receptive, said Mr. Mann, who calls ahead to let agencies know the lawbreakers have been ordered to wear the shirts.

The shirts aren’t just visible in Fulton County.

“I’m a thief” shirts have been worn by violators who performed community service in Lucas and Henry counties, further expanding the unusual penalty into the court of public opinion.