The owner of a meat business in western Michigan has been ordered to pay nearly $1,200 after a 17-year-old worker lost his hand in a grinder.

  • sigh@lemmy.world
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    Ionia County Judge Ray Voet said the accident was a “horrible tragedy” but didn’t warrant jail or probation for Darin Wilbur, WOOD-TV reported.

    “Two months later, we wouldn’t even be here,” the judge said, noting that the teen soon would have turned 18 years old.

    “Ionia County is a farming county, and I know a lot of people in this county view children working, sometimes around dangerous machinery, as part of growing up,” Voet said.

    wow fuck that judge

    • SeaJ@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      Maybe those people that see that as part of growing up are fucking stupid. Did Voet ever think of that?

      • jaybirrd@lemmy.world
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        I think it has more to do with minors operating machinery in the workplace. If he was 18 it’s “just” a horrible workplace accident. But since he was 17, it was illegal for the company to have him operate that piece of equipment and that’s why they were in court over it.

        • Morcyphr
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          1 year ago

          I’m sure there’s more to the story not included in this article as to why the fine was so low, but I’m too lazy to dig into it.

          • jaybirrd@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            I’m pretty sure it’s because it’s just a misdemeanor charge or something like that. Too lazy to confirm though.

    • RickRussell_CA@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Employing a minor in a dangerous profession is apparently a misdemeanor under state law. It sounds like he avoided jail time as part of a plea deal.

      But, we don’t know what arrangement he might have made regarding civil liability. It’s not in the article and I can’t find it reported anywhere.

        • RickRussell_CA@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          True. Possible that the victim’s lawyers wanted to wait until the formal guilty verdict before bringing a civil action, or merely use the guilty verdict as a negotiation tactic at the bargaining table.

    • TheDubz87@lemmy.world
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      I can’t actually seem to open the article but that was my first thought lol “nearly $1200”…

      If that’s true, it’s an absolute travesty…

  • Adeptfuckup@lemmy.world
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    $1200 huh? I’d pay some crackheads to shit on the judge’s lawn over the course of a few days. Bonus pay for leaving a floater in his jacuzzi.

    • Morcyphr
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      You’re a terrible person, huh? Good to know. Hopefully you grow out of that after middle school.

      • lolcatnip@reddthat.com
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        1 year ago

        Sorry, can you explain how doing something mildly irritating to such an incredible asshole makes one a horrible person? I think the judge and the defendant he let off with a slap on the wrist are the horrible people in this story. Do you not?

        • Morcyphr
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          I do not know the whole story, and probably you don’t either. Maybe they are shitty people. Or maybe this kid was doing something dumb (and unauthorized), hence the light penalty. Regardless, combatting horrible people by being horrible people is a piss poor response. A threat to shit on personal property is juvenile, at best.