In President Joe Biden’s America, we have many occasions to think about justice, for we see so little of it. Heck, even before this dark presidency descended on us, we craved seeing tables turned on offenders.
“How would you like it if someone did that to you?” we often say. That universal expression of indignation confirms our deep attachment to a higher moral law.
Only on rare occasions, however, do we see such retributive justice in action.
One such occasion occurred last week in Parma, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland.
According to WJW-TV in Cleveland, Parma Municipal Court Judge Timothy Gilligan gave 39-year-old Rosemary Hayne a choice between spending 180 days in jail and putting herself in the shoes — almost literally — of the woman she assaulted.
At a Parma Chipotle on Sept. 5, Hayne confronted restaurant employee Emily Russell. The disgruntled customer complained about her order and then threw hot food in Russell’s face.
“You didn’t get your burrito bowl the way you like it and this is how you respond?” Judge Gilligan said while addressing Hayne during sentencing. “This is not Real Housewives of Parma. This behavior is not acceptable.”
“If I showed you how my food looked and how my food looked a week later from that same restaurant, it’s disgusting looking,” Hayne complained.
“I bet you won’t be happy with the food you are going to get in the jail,” Gilligan told the defendant.
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Still, the judge showed a degree of mercy while crafting a punishment that fit the crime.
“Do you want to walk in [Russell’s] shoes for two months and learn how people should treat people, or do you want to do your jail time?” Gilligan asked Hayne according to CBS.
“I’d like to walk in her shoes,” Hayne replied. Thus, under court orders, she will now spend two months wearing the shoes fast-food workers wear.
In an email to CBS, attorney Joe O’Malley expressed thanks and regret on Hayne’s behalf.
“My client is grateful for the opportunity to get a job to reduce her sentence and demonstrate her true remorse for her behavior at Chipotle,” O’Malley wrote.
Meanwhile, Russell doubts her attacker’s penitence. At the sentencing, for instance, the victim said that Hayne did not make eye contact with her.
Russell, 17, also has found a different job because, she said, Chipotle did not support her.
A video of the assault, followed by a brief interview with Russell, appeared in a report by Cleveland’s WKYC -TV. Readers may view that video here:
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Chipotle Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Laurie Schalow issued a statement endorsing the judge’s sentencing.
“The health and safety of our employees is our greatest priority, and we’re pleased to see justice served for any individual that does not treat our team members with the respect they deserve,” Schalow said according to People.
The entire incident has drawn national attention.
In fact, NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live” last week featured a three-minute segment on the confrontation. That segment included video from inside the courtroom, as well as comments from Gilligan:
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Hayne’s food-related complaint during sentencing, coupled with her alleged avoidance of eye contact with Russell, does raise questions about remorse. But we cannot read others’ hearts. Deep embarrassment alone could also account for such behavior.
While we would like to see genuine remorse, the knowledge that Hayne might soon encounter customers like herself satisfies us on a most visceral level.
At the same time, however, we should not feel too much satisfaction. In fact, we would do far better to acknowledge that feeling for Russell’s sake and then suppress it for ourselves. After all, temptations to anger bombard us every day, and humility alone will prevent us from succumbing to them as Hayne did.
“Let’s give her the opportunity to not let this one day define the rest of her life,” O’Malley told CNN.
That, too, sounds like justice.
