Judge orders man to write 144 nice things about ex-girlfriend
WAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) - A judge on the Hawaiian island of Maui has handed down an unorthodox sentence to a man who pleaded no contest to violating a protection order preventing him from contacting his ex-girlfriend.
Judge Rhonda Loo ordered Daren Young on Friday to write 144 compliments about his ex-girlfriend, in response to the 144 "nasty" text messages and calls that he is accused of sending her.
"For every nasty thing you said about her, you're going to say a nice thing," Loo told Young. "No repeating words."
Young, 30, received time served for spending 157 days in jail before being sentenced, the Maui News reported . Besides being told to pay the compliments, he also received two years of probation, $2,400 in fines and 200 hours of community service.
"It's so childish to think a grown man can be so thumb-happy," Loo said.
Young told Loo he will not reach out to the ex-girlfriend again and is moving forward with his life.
She sought the protection order, which was issued Feb. 22. He was ordered not to contact her, including by phone.
But two months later, Young called and texted her 144 times within a three-hour period, police said.
"I don't know whether I should cut off your fingers or take away your phone to get you to stop texting," Loo told Young. "You probably shouldn't get a phone, period. I hope she changed her number."