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.
Psychiatrists and investment bankers smearing their own fecal matter around like apes ... sick, sad world.
Psychiatrists are loonier than their patients quite often.
Bonaparte?? Nice town name for a head-shrinker. As far as the poop-money, I'd say 30 days was getting off light. They could probably charge him with terrorism if they really wanted.
Sounds like he still needs potty training.
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