Abusive Husband Gets Slap on Wrist, Literally

A judge told a man convicted of spousal abuse to roll up his shirt sleeve, then punished him with a three-finger “slap” on the wrist and said, “Don’t do that.”

District Judge Joel Gehrke said the real crime was adultery, committed by Stewart Marshall’s wife. She acknowledged having an affair with her husband’s brother, which led to the birth of a child.

Assistant Prosecutor Herbert Tanner objected to the sentence, saying it “sends the wrong message concerning domestic violence.”

Marshall, 38, of Vestaburg was convicted of misdemeanor spousal abuse after pushing his wife and throwing her to the ground Oct. 31 when he heard what she had done.