Some True Stories Too Outrageous

Fri., March 27, 1998

Ann Landers Creators Syndicate

Dear Ann Landers: Add this one to your “strange decisions by judges” file. I found it hard to believe when I read about it in the Lima, Ohio, News.

It seems a state court judge ordered a 26-year-old Kentucky man to marry his 28-year-old girlfriend, the mother of his child. The man was in court because he had threatened to kill this same girlfriend.

The judge reduced felony battery and terrorist threat charges to misdemeanor disorderly conduct, sentenced the man to probation and ordered him to pay $1,200 in fines, get counseling and marry his girlfriend.

I am sending the clipping with the news item to prove I didn’t make it up. Will we be reading about the girlfriend’s murder next? How do these judges get their jobs? I am signing my name, Ann, but please don’t print it. - Outraged in Ohio

Dear Ohio: Thanks for another “truth is stranger than fiction” item. You ask how these judges get their jobs. Some are elected, others appointed. Keep reading for another incredible judge story. This one is from Albany, N.Y. Apparently, that judge in Kentucky has a judicial soul mate there. Here’s the news story:

According to the Citrus County Chronicle, Crystal River, Fla., the judge granted custody of a 12-year-old boy and his 8-year-old brother to their father, even though the man is in jail and could face the death penalty for killing their mother. The 39-year-old woman was found dead in her car, submerged in a lake in the Adirondack Mountains. Following an application for custody by the father, the children were removed from the custody of their maternal grandmother and aunt, where they were doing quite well.

I hope my readers of the Albany Times-Union will keep an eye on this case and let me know what happens. I agree with the loyal reader who sent the clipping that something must be done to protect our children against legal decisions of this kind.

Dear Ann Landers: A while back, I developed a fear of germs and concluded that shaking hands was the principal reason people became ill. I began to wear short cotton gloves everywhere until my fixation became noticeable and folks began to ask a lot of questions.

I discarded the gloves so people would leave me alone, but then, I began to wash my hands 12 or 15 times a day. Not only was this time-consuming, but my hands were getting sore. It became apparent that I had a serious problem and should seek help. A very fine psychiatrist informed me that I have an obsessive-compulsive disorder as well as a few other phobias.

Is there anything new in the way of help for people like me? - Anonymous, Please

Dear Anon.: Yes, there is help and hope for people who have your problem. Experts on obsessive-compulsive disorder recommend cognitive/behavioral therapy for most cases of OCD, along with medication when warranted. This type of therapy helps individuals with OCD confront their anxieties gradually and learn to work through them without using compulsive behaviors.

For the latest on this disorder, write to the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation, P.O. Box 70, Milford, Conn. 06460-0070 (http:/ /pages.prodigy.com/alwillen/ocf.html). The foundation will update you and offer suggestions, and you will feel less alone. Good luck.

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