Houston prosecutors are trying a man for disciplining his son with a stun gun. For details, check out the Houston Chronicle article.

What unusual forms of discipline have you come across as a prosecutor (let's keep personal stories out of this)?

Don't know that it is an unusual method, but a father beat his two "fat and lazy" daughters for failing to clean their rooms. His paddle of choice, a fan belt from an automobile. It left some very distinct brusies.

Does making a 7 year old (who weighs 38 lbs.) hold weights above her head for 20 minutes in order to get dinner qualify as unusual punishment? (Especially since she never made it to 20 minutes.) How about making her run around the perimeter of a 10 acre property, haul tree branches into a pit, (all this while the rest of the family eats dinner) and locking her in a closet when she tries to sneak food? How about putting a dab of peanut butter on each corner of 2 slices of white bread -- basically using the peanut butter as glue -- and sending her to school with that, and a thermos of water (no milk allowed!) as her lunch?

Does making a 5 year old kneel, bare legged, in the corner on a bed of dry rice qualify?

When "belt whuppins," pushups, holding the 3, 5 and 7 year-old boys in the "up" pushup position, situps and running laps didn't work, Dad put the 3 year-old in a tub of scalding water in the presence of the other two boys to "teach them all a lesson." The jury decided Dad's education would take thirty years.....

Apparently, the jurors wanted to try the stun gun on themselves before convicting: see story.

And the judge let them, according to the story in this morning's Houston Chronicle. And, they convicted him.

Maybe while they're considering punishment, they could all stick their tounges in a light socket.

Well, the jury gave him probation, but in a surprise ending, the judge (who did punishment for an unrelated endangering a child case) gave him 2 years in a state jail. For details, go to the Houston Chronicle story.

Here's a quote from the Houston Chronicle story: "He [defendant] said he no longer lives with his common-law wife, Tsianina, but added, "I'll never stop loving her and I won't ever be with somebody else."" Who really believes he "won't ever be with somebody else"???? Especially since he IS going to the state jail for 2 years.