In an unusual sentencing plea, an Ohio woman was given a lower jail sentence by working the same job as the person she was found guilty of assaulting.
Rosemary Hayne was arrested Sept. 5 after footage went viral of her assaulting Chipotle worker Emily Russell at the Parma, Ohio, location. Hayne was seen slamming her food down on the counter to confront the employee about her dissatisfaction with the meal before throwing it at Russell.
Hayne’s original sentencing at a Nov. 28 hearing found her guilty of one count of assault. In addition to paying a fine, she also was set to serve 180 days in jail. However, the circumstances surrounding the assault gave the judge an idea to teach the 39-year-old Hayne a lesson.
“You didn’t get your burrito bowl the way you liked it, and this is how you respond?” asked Parma Municipal Judge Timothy Gilligan, according to Fox 8. “This is not Real Housewives of Parma. This behavior is not acceptable.”
Hayne’s apology to Russell included her reasoning behind her unruly behavior. The food’s presentation, according to her, was “disgusting looking.”
“I bet you won’t be happy with the food you are going to get in the jail,” the judge retorted.
In order to avoid that reality, Gilligan offered Hayne jail credit if she
worked at least 20 hours per week at a local fast-food restaurant for two months. The defendant agreed to do so. In Gilligan’s mind, the resolution saves taxpayers’ money and affords Hayne a “sense of empathy.”“So I thought, why should the city taxpayers pay for her and feed her for 90 days in the jail if I can teach her a sense of empathy?” Gilligan said. “I also hope this deters others from this type of behavior.”
Russell no longer works at Chipotle. While it is unknown whether her employment in fast food is over, Hayne’s has just begun.
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