Oddly Enough

Strange little bits of news. ...

Judge takes offense at fine payment note

BERKLEY, Mich. (AP) — Robert Militzer paid a parking ticket with another $10 check — this one without the eight-letter notation that could have landed him in jail for 30 days.

Militzer appeared Wednesday in Berkley District Court on a contempt of court charge filed after he scrawled ‘‘BULL (expletive) MONEY GRAB’’ on the original check with which he paid the fine.

The American Civil Liberties Union came to the defense of the 38-year-old computer programmer from Allen Park. ACLU lawyer Elsa Shartsis filed a six-page brief contending the remark was constitutionally protected free speech.

But the anticipated First Amendment showdown didn’t happen. Militzer appeared in court Wednesday with Shartsis, who told Judge William Sauer: ‘‘My client does regret any offense that he made to the court. He disagrees with the ticket but had no intent of offending the court.’’

The apology, and Militzer’s agreement to pay the ticket with a G-rated check, was enough for Sauer to dismiss the contempt charge.

Something was fishy in bass tournament

BENTON, Ky. (AP) — These fish stories were, in fact, too good to be true.

Two fishing buddies were charged with 10 felonies after being accused of cheating in fishing tournaments on Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley on the Kentucky-Tennessee line.

Dwayne E. Nesmith, 43, of Island, and Brian K. Thomas, 31, of Dawson Springs, were indicted on nine counts of theft and attempted theft.

The men allegedly stashed five live bass in a fish basket at the Relay for Life Buddy Bass Tournament on April 30, and then scooped them up for the weigh-in.

Nesmith and Thomas were witnessed picking up the fish early on the morning of April 30, then putting their catch in the boat, said Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Sgt. Bill Snow.

Police crack down on malicious mediums

NEW YORK (AP) — They should have seen it coming.

Three women were arrested for running phony fortune telling operations, including one who tried to dupe an undercover police officer out of more than $1,000 for an exorcism to banish evil spirits, authorities said Wednesday.

Police said the women violated a state law that requires all readings be done for entertainment or amusement purposes only, authorities said.

The three suspects weren’t amused when they discovered their clients were undercover police officers taking part in a sting operation. The probe began in March.

One suspect, who operated under the name Readings by Julia, told one undercover agent that she could eliminate evil spirits for an additional $900 on top of her usual fee, prosecutors said. A second undercover officer was told that a $1,300 payment would return her wayward boyfriend, authorities said.