Judge orders DUI defendants to download ride-hailing apps

PAINESVILLE, Ohio – An Ohio judge known for handing down unusual sentences is requiring convicted drunken drivers to download ride-hailing apps on their phones as part of their punishment.

Municipal Court Judge Michael Cicconetti (chik-oh-NETT’-ee) in Painesville in northeastern Ohio also requires defendants to enter a credit card number on the Uber and Lyft apps as a condition of probation.

Cicconetti tells the Willoughby News-Herald (http://bit.ly/2rdJkaQ ) it’s common sense to take advantage of the technology, which is safer than driving drunk and a cheaper alternative to thousands of dollars spent after a drunk driving arrest.

In the past Cicconetti has told a drunken driver to view crash victims’ bodies at a morgue.

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Information from: The News-Herald, http://www.news-herald.com/jrc-html/index/index_p33.html