Girls bake cookies, and pay $900 fine

**Shine** · 07 Feb 2005, 10:21 PM

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/050204/80/fbtoj.html

Girls fined for giving neighbour cookies

DURANGO, Colorado (Reuters) - A Colorado judge ordered two teen-age girls to pay about $900 (480 pounds) for the distress a neighbour said they caused by giving her home-made cookies adorned with paper hearts.

The pair were ordered to pay $871.70 plus $39 in court costs after neighbour Wanita Renea Young, 49, filed a lawsuit complaining that the unsolicited cookies, left at her house after the girls knocked on her door, had triggered an anxiety attack that sent her to the hospital the next day.

Taylor Ostergaard, then 17, and Lindsey Jo Zellitte, 18, paid the judgment on Thursday after a small claims court ruling by La Plata County Court Judge Doug Walker, a court clerk said on Friday.

The girls baked cookies as a surprise for several of their rural Colorado neighbours on July 31 and dropped off small batches on their porches, accompanied by red or pink paper hearts and the message: "Have a great night".

The Denver Post newspaper reported on Friday that the girls had decided to stay home and bake the cookies rather than go to a dance where there might be cursing and drinking.

It reported that six neighbours wrote letters entered as evidence in the case thanking the girls for the cookies.

But Young said she was frightened because the two had knocked on her door at about 10:30 p.m. and run off after leaving the cookies.

She went to a hospital emergency room the next day, fearing that she had suffered a heart attack, court records said.

The judge awarded Young her medical costs, but did not award punitive damages. He said he did not think the girls had acted maliciously but that 10:30 was fairly late at night for them to be out.

This woman is going to have it rough on Halloween, all the kids are gonna sue the shit outta her for the candy she gives out. The irony here though it that they did this to stay out of trouble and wound in court, while they're friends got drunk and sexed up and nothing happened to them at all.

**mollipen** · 07 Feb 2005, 10:45 PM

Reading things like this can just make you so damned furious. NOBODY in their right minds would say that those girls did something bad, and it baffles me that a court would actually make a judgment against them.

I can't believe the woman would actually do this. She should get the crap kicked out of her.

**Bacon McShig** · 07 Feb 2005, 10:47 PM

Originally Posted by shidoshi

I can't believe the woman would actually do this. She should get the crap kicked out of her.

I'd say more the lawyer for taking the case in the first place and the judge and jury for passing the verdict.

**Diff-chan** · 07 Feb 2005, 10:50 PM

Originally Posted by Bacon McShig

I'd say more the lawyer for taking the case in the first place and the judge and jury for passing the verdict.

I dont think a jury is involved in this case, dudeslice.

**sleeve** · 07 Feb 2005, 10:55 PM

This is one of those "right law, wrong decision" moments.

It also goes to show that most judges have no balls whatsoever.

**MarsVolta** · 07 Feb 2005, 10:59 PM

What a crock. That woman is an idiot as well as the judge. Doesn't surprise me to see this happen though. Seems like most things like this now pop up more and more.

**Gohron** · 07 Feb 2005, 11:16 PM

Originally Posted by Article

The Denver Post newspaper reported on Friday that the girls had decided to stay home and bake the cookies rather than go to a dance where there might be cursing and drinking.

Heaven forbid! Not cursing!

My opinions? Bullshit, the lawsuits in this country are getting more and more ridiculous.