Posted on 12/09/2004 7:09:19 PM PST by leadpencil1
BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) - A psychiatrist who police say smeared excrement on dollars bills used to pay a parking ticket has been fined $250.
Ronald Preston McPike, 52, of Bonaparte, was charged with harassment of a public official after officials received an envelop in July labeled "Foreign brown substance on bills." The envelope contained several dollar bills and a parking ticket made up to McPike, police said.
Tests indicated the brown substance was fecal matter that had been smeared on the bills.
McPike told police the money fell into a toilet and was retrieved to pay the $5 parking ticket, police said.
Assistant Des Moines County Attorney Heidi Van Winkle had sought the maximum $500 fine and 30 days in jail for McPike.
"Something this disgusting requires more from the court than a minimum fine. This was a snub at law enforcement officers who are just doing their job," Van Winkle said.
McPike's lawyer, Bryan Schulte, said his client had a "serious error in judgment."
"He was vexed at getting parking tickets left and right and didn't consider what he did a criminal act," Schulte said.
Associate Judge Gary Snyder said McPike demonstrated "immature behavior unbecoming a professional person."
"It's hard to put this case into perspective because people seem to get more riled up about parking tickets than anything else," Snyder said. "This is a public heath issue which shouldn't have happened."
McPike declined to comment.
Nice try.
That is sooooo nasty.
"McPike told police the money fell into a toilet and was retrieved to pay the $5 parking ticket, police said."
Where'd he pull that excuse out of? His... er... nevermind....
Well, when I lived in Iowa, the farmers said the pig $hit smelled like money to them, so maybe he was confused (or conflicted, as pshrinks would say--LOL).
Pretty anal behavior from a doc for a lousy 5 dollar fine.
That stinks. What a crappy thing to do.
Somebody cut him a break. He could have been charged with bioterrorism, assault, assault with a deadly weapon, attempted murder, ..., etc.
"A psychiatrist who police say smeared excrement on dollars bills used to pay a parking ticket has been fined $250."
Physician...heal thyself.
ya beat me toit!
That is actually kinda funny :-)
LOL, true. But it's still disgusting, repellent and juvenile behavior. :)
This guy, along with McDermitt is reinforcing certain stereotypes about folks who gravitate to this profession.
They tend to be loons.
My my my. What a basty nastard. Yeccchhh!
I would have given him some jail time. I hope his psychiatric practice is ruined because of this. He's in no position to be helpful to anyone in dealing with ordinary problems.
I was thinking the same thing. He needs anger management and impulse control training. It's scary to think that he has influence over the emotional health of patients.
He got off light unless there's an impact on his business.
Doesn't hold a candle to the case of Gerald B. Finneran, a Connecticut investment banker and one of the leading authorities on Latin American debt. Remember that one?
On a flight from Buenos Aires, four hours from New York, in the First Class cabin, he got steamed when the cabin crew cut off his booze ... Read the rest here:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/altitude/monday1.html
He got fined around $50K, if memory serves.
Psychiatrists are loonier than their patients quite often.
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