Saturday, June 23, 2007

Feces Parking Ticket Leads To A $2921 Fine

AUSTIN, Minn. (AP) - A man has been ordered to pay nearly $3,000 to the woman who became seriously ill in April after opening a parking ticket envelope in which he had placed dog feces.

Joshua Steven Solberg, 22, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct Friday in Mower District Court.

According to court documents, Judge Fred Wellmann ordered Solberg to pay $2,921.70 to the woman, who worked in the Austin Police Department office.

City prosecutor Lee Bjorndal said restitution will go toward paying the victim's medical costs not covered by insurance. Her medical bills totaled more than $5,000, he said.

Solberg also must write an apology letter to the victim and pay a $300 fine, with another $200 and a 90-day jail sentence stayed for one year.

The complaint says Solberg was ticketed for overtime parking April 18 for leaving his vehicle parked in front of his residence. He placed the ticket envelopment with his payment - and the dog feces - in a drop box for citations at the Law Enforcement Center.

When the office employee opened envelopes from the drop box, she noticed a brown fluid leaking from one envelope. The complaint says the fluid got onto her hands, which she washed, and also contaminated her desk. She awoke the next day with a headache and vomited repeatedly and was hospitalized for about two days with an undetermined illness.

Solberg said he was upset about the ticket and denied targeting any particular person.

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