In the latest bout of court-ordered public shaming news, the Cleveland man who was sentenced to wear a sign proclaiming himself an idiot and to stand outside a local police station has finally shown up to his post.

If you’ll remember, 58-year-old Richard Dameron failed to carry out his original sentence in June after he slung back too many bottles of liquid courage and forgot to arrange a ride.

The Cleveland judge who originally issued the sentence, Pinkey S. Carr, was far from amused, and ordered him to carry out his sentence the week after Labor Day. She also piled on an additional 90 days of jail time.

Dameron will be at his curb-side post for three hours each day for the rest of the week. The sign he wears reads, “I apologize to Officer Simone and all police officers for being an idiot calling 911 threatening to kill you. I’m sorry and it will never happen again.”

Dameron was sentenced for threatening to kill local police officers over the phone last spring.

Dameron’s public shaming isn’t the first of its kind in Cleveland. Last year, Carr ordered a Cleveland woman to wear an “Idiot” sign after she repeatedly drove a school bus onto crowded sidewalks. Carr is beginning to make a reputation for herself as Cleveland’s *alternative* judge.

What do you think? Is there value in public shaming or does it compromise the U.S. justice system?

Leave your comments below.

This man is a self-proclaimed idiot.

  • This man is a self-proclaimed idiot.

This article appears in Aug 28 – Sep 3, 2013.

Alaina Nutile is the Web Editor who oversees all digital content and social media initiatives for Cleveland Scene Magazine and Detroit Metro Times. Before joining the staff in June 2013, she interned at Business Insider in New York City, and at La Hora in Quito, Ecuador. Alaina is a graduate of Kalamazoo College in Michigan, where she double majored in English and Spanish. Her interests include Japanese food, Breaking Bad, and career development advising.

5 replies on “The Cleveland Man Sentenced to Wear “I’m an Idiot” Sign Finally Shows Up to His Post”

  2. The answer to your question is very simple. The liberals/progressives/leftists/ACLU/criminal defense lawyers will howl about how unfair and demeaning it is. The hard working, tax paying, law abiding, God fearing conservatives will pat the judge on the back.

  3. Actually Edward,

    I’m a liberal/progressive/leftist and I think it’s awesome. Maybe you need some sort of sign around your neck to point out the closed-mindedness of your thinking. 😉

  5. If you’re dumb enough to call 911 (which everyone knows is a recorded line that basically acts as the “Home Phone Number” for Police) and you threaten to kill police officers, then you’re obviously a huge idiot and deserve to hold a sign that states that fact.

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