02-26-2004: Um, what do you mean she's underage?

Beware, pedophiles, for Fox Channel 12 out of Clackamas, Oregon, is on the prowl. Recently, the Fox station teamed up with volunteers from Perverted-Justice to operate an online sting operation targetting pedophiles. The sting netted twelve area men who were using the internet to locate and target underage teenage girls.

And the sting netted a good one - Michael J. Benthin. After the sting went down, Benthin admitted to believing the person he was talking to was a child, and attempting to make contact.

However, there's a twist.

Benthin is a Reserve Deputy with the Clackamas County Sheriff's Department. Oops. Or rather, he was. In the Fox 12 story, Sheriff Pat Detloff confirmed that Benthin had indeed resigned his position. Detloff also confirmed that an investigation into both procedural violations and criminal wrongdoing is underway.

Ya know, it's going to be pretty hard for Benthin to fight this one. Today's AOTD award goes to one very wayward cop, Michael J. Benthin.

02-18-2004: It's alright, officer, I'm with the mayor's office. *wink*wink*nudge*nudge*

WCBS TV, CBS' affiliate in New York City, New York, caught one of New York Mayor Bloomberg's deputy mayor's abusing her privileges to try to beat traffic. Yes, it's another "I'm a public official and I'm better than you" story.

Deputy Mayor for Legal Affairs Carol Robles-Roman was caught by a video crew from WCBS using her emergency response equipment on her car to get around traffic at the Henry Hudson Bridge. The equipment, as you can guess, includes a siren and emergency lights.

Robles-Roman has requested that the emergency response package be removed from her car, after the story broke of her abuse.

The New York Post has a short story about the incident. Congratulations, Robles-Roman, on being awarded one of the lamest AOTD awards in a while!

02-11-2004: Dance, you sexy thang!

I'm sure many parents give their children alcohol at one time or another. Whether it be a sip of daddy's beer, or a glass of wine at Christmas, it happens. Different cultures and traditions make a difference as well - some parts of the world see it as a normal thing.

However, I think Jeffrey L. Yingling may have taken it a bit too far. Yingling, a resident of Newark, New Jersey, USA, purchased beer, wine coolers, and vodka coolers for his daughter and eight of her friends. It was his daughter's birthday, after all!

His daughter and her friends are eleven or twelve years old.

According to the story in the Newark Advocate, despite several vomiting incidents and a couple of the children passing out, the party roared on until 4:30AM the next morning. I'm guessing that 4:30AM is past their bedtimes.

But wait, there's more! Yingling allegedly encouraged the girls to dirty dance, and gave the winner $5. Wow. That is wrong on so many levels.

So, the 52-year-old Yingling was found guilty on eight counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He could earn up to 48 months in jail for his little lapse of common sense. Welcome to the ranks of the elite, Yingling - the many, the dumb, the Asshats.

02-08-2004: What is with these people impersonating police officers?

On January 30th, Michael J. Wilkinson was out test-driving a new vehicle in Toledo, Ohio, USA. He pulled into a shopping mall parking lot, where he encountered one Nicholas C. Douglas. According to the story in the Toledo Blade, Douglas pulled him over using several "aggressive driving maneuvers."

Douglas then proceeded to question him, and warned that he was trespassing on mall property and would be arrested if he didn't leave.

Unfortunately for Douglas, there was a police officer involved in the conversation, but it wasn't him. Wilkinson is a police officer. Douglas is not. In fact, Douglas was still on probation for the last time he impersonated a peace officer. Oops.

Douglas was arrested at his home on February 4th. Don't worry, Douglas, your AOTD award should arrive shortly.

02-05-2004: The critics are raving about today's Asshat Of The Day!

"A horrible error in judgment of biblical proportions" - Michael J. Mayer, city prosecutor

"Grossly disappointed" - Col. Anne Beers, head of the State Patrol

"No one is happy to be investigating another law enforcement officer" - Police Chief Kent Therkelsen

So, who are the critics so pumped up about? Trooper Jennifer Lee Schneider, that's who! Schneider, a Minnesota State Trooper, gave an off-duty colleague a ride to a hockey game last December. And what a ride it was - she reached a top speed of 126 miles per hour, with an average speed of 114!

She used her lights and siren to clear civilian traffic from her path twice, and finally ended up schmucking a car that was trying to get out of her way.

And then, she told the Explorer scout that was riding with her to lie about the incident. According to Schneider, she was "pursuing a civilian that had run a red light" (those are air quotes, not a direct quote).

Please, read the story from the Twin Cities' Pioneer Press. It's an amazing tale of asshattedness. Congratulations Trooper-For-Now Schneider - you earned the hell out of today's Asshat Of The Day award.

02-01-2004: Starting off on the wrong foot...

16-year-old Wesley Mearidy was going to rob himself a 7-Eleven convenience store in Dania Beach, Florida, USA. It was just after 11:00PM on January 20th, and he had a .22 caliber rifle as he approached the cash register. He pointed the rifle at the clerk, and supposedly demanded money.

Unfortunately for Mearidy, a customer had seen him trying to load a .40 caliber bullet into the .22 caliber gun. For those of you unfamiliar with firearm calibers, the .40 is almost twice as large as a .22. To quote from the story from the AP and Local10, "It won't go."

The customer then snuck up on Mearidy from behind, tackling him into a display and then wrestling him to the floor. Other customers then rushed to help restrain the would-be robber, who is now under arrest and may be tried as an adult.

The staff at Stinkweasel have some advice for Mearidy - you're sixteen, for God's sake. Stop being an asshat now, while you still have a chance. Oh, and enjoy your AOTD award.