Valerie Bruno filed a complaint against a Juvenile Court Judge because she claims he encouraged her to cut off her 13 year-old daughter's ponytail in court.
In March, Bruno's daughter, Kaytlen Lopan, and her 11-year-old friend were at a McDonald's. While there, they befriended a 3 year-old girl.
Lopan and her friend decided to cut the 3 year-olds hair, but didn't have scissors. They asked to borrow a pair of scissors from McDonald's employees who refused.
So they went across the street to a Dollar General store, bought scissors and returned to the McDonald's. They each took a turn cutting several inches of hair from the back of the child's head. Of course, they fled, but police were able to identify Lopan from the security video.
Lopan and her friend were in court on May 28 where they entered admission in the assault of the 3 year-old. Lopan also entered admission in another case where she made eight months of telephone calls to a teen in Colorado. These telephone calls included threats of rape and mutilation.
District Juvenile Judge Scott Johansen ordered the 11 year-old to get her hair cut, too...as short as his, but he allowed her to get it done at a salon.
Judge Johansen said Lopan's behavior was "egregious". She was ordered to pay restitution to both victims, serve 276 hours of community service and serve 30 days in detention.
"If she was my daughter, I wouldn't want
her with the (youth) work crew," the judge said.
"I know, I thought of that," Bruno
said.
"I'm going to give you
this option: I will cut that by 150 hours if you want to cut her hair right
now," Johansen said.
"Me, cut her hair?" Bruno asked.
"Right now," the judge said.
"I'll go get a pair of scissors and we'll whack that ponytail off."
Moss, the victim's mother, was in the courtroom
and fully supported the penalty. She even spoke up when she didn't believe
Bruno had cut enough of Lopan's ponytail off.
"Satisfied? Is it short enough?"
Johansen asked Moss.
"No," she replied. "My
daughter's hair that had never been cut, that was down to (the middle of her
back), was cut up to here."
"Take it off clear up to the
rubberband," the judge told Bruno, who protested that the scissors he'd
given her weren't up to the task.
"Take a little bit at a time,"
Johansen said.
Watch the video below.
At least, the 11 year-old was truthful; she told authorities they both cut the child's hair, but Lopan blamed it all on her friend. Bruno said she grounded Lopan as punishment.
Why is Bruno acting as if her daughter is the victim? The judge didn't force her to cut Lopan's hair. She cut it because she wanted to shorten her daughter's community service.
Now that the daughter received fewer community service hours, Bruno complains that she was encouraged and intimidated into cutting her daughter's hair.
Suddenly, it's clear why the daughter is a liar, a bully,irresponsible and is a bad influence on the 11 year-old. Rather than filing a complaint against the judge, Bruno should spend some time teaching her daughter that there are serious consequences for assault.
Bruno said she is outraged at the judge's decision. I'm outraged that Bruno brought this to the attention of the media. Now she is showing the world that her daughter is a bully and that she lacks good parenting skills.
I agree with the judge's decision and I applaud him for his creative sentencing. Although, the judge's action may not be appropriate in all cases of assault, it's perfect for this case.
One burning question is left unanswered in all accounts of this story: Where was Mindy Moss, the mother of the 3 year-old, while the girls were befriending her daughter, asking to use scissors, going to buy scissors and returning to cut her daughter's hair? This certainly took more than a few minutes.
It's clear Lopan has serious issues and she need intervention before she actually ends up in the criminal justice system. Bruno would do well to spend her time taking parenting classes.
Bruno is concerned about choosing to cut her daughter's hair...that should be the least of her worries. Hair grows back!
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Peace
Source: http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=20946125
