Judge getting creative… I like that.
Two Montana scumbags tangled with the wrong judge when they decided to lie to the court, claiming they both suffered from PTSD after serving multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. One even claimed that his hip was replaced after an IED explosion, the other, was even enrolled in Veterans Treatment Court before it was discovered that he was full of shit.
According to USA Today, Ryan Patrick Morris, 28, and Troy Allan Nelson, 33 were both hauled into court for a various suspended/deferred sentence violations on a series of unrelated crimes, but it was their Stolen Valor that promoted the creative wrath of Judge Pinski.
“There are certain people, shameful people, who have not put their lives on the line for this country who portray themselves as having done so,” Pinski told the defendants, adding that their behavior was “abhorrent to the men and women who have actually served our country.”
Although neither were officially charged with stolen valor, a federal crime that prohibits falsely holding oneself out to be a recipient of certain military decorations with intent to obtain money, property or other tangible benefit, Judge Pinski’s sentence, focused on punishing them for falsifying their service in the military.
The sentence required each man to:
-Personally hand-write the names of all 6,756 Americans killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
-Personally hand-write the obituaries of the 40 Montanans killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
-Personally hand-write letters of apology identifying themselves as having lied about military service to the American Legion, AMVETS, the Disabled American Veterans, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Vietnam Veterans of America.
-Serve 441 hours of community service, one hour for each of the Montanans killed in combat since the Korean War.
They also both have to stand at the Montana Veterans Memorial for eight hours on each Memorial and Veterans Day wearing a placard that reads, “I am a liar. I am not a veteran. I stole valor. I have dishonored all veterans.”
“I want to make sure that my message is received loud and clear by these two defendants,” Pinski said. “You’ve been nothing but disrespectful in your conduct. You certainly have not respected the Army. You’ve not respected the veterans. You’ve not respected the court. And you haven’t respected yourselves.”
You gotta love it.
A couple of low-life bozos commit a bunch of crimes, blow off their parole officers, violate the terms of their suspended sentences and then have the audacity to falsely blame it on their PTSD after serving in the military. Rather than just activating their suspended sentences, the judge decides to make an example out of the clowns, teaching them an important lesson about respect. Respect for the men and women that actually have put their lives on the line to defend this country. Jude Pinski, you’re a badass. If I ever get arrested in Montana, I hope you’re my judge.
Both men expressed remorse for their stolen valor, however I suppose they’ll have plenty of time to think about it in the Montana State Prison.
