Criminal Holds "I Was Stupid" Sign

By Associated Press

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EAU CLAIRE - A man who damaged the Eau Claire waste water treatment plant gates spent Thanksgiving Day serving his sentence. Shane McQuillan decided he'd rather hold a sign that says "I was stupid" instead of spending 20 days in jail for his guilty charge of criminal damage to property. The 22-year-old spent eight hours Thursday standing at the entrance of Eau Claire's Waste Water Treatment Facility. Last March McQuillan crashed a car into the facility's gates, with a blood alcohol level of .238. Eau Claire County Judge Paul Lenz sentenced McQuillan. He's handed out about 20 similar public shaming sentences, but he says most criminals choose to wait out their sentences in jail. WEAU-TV in Eau Claire tried to talk to McQuillan but he refused to comment.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)