For my 26th PLN, I read an article called "Throwing of Snowball not Assault" posted by the Rocky Mountain News, this article told about an Austrian man on trial for what he says was "a little playful action in the snow", not an assault. Authorities have recently said that, a 21 year old male hit his co-worker Michelle Oelert with a snowball at Copper Mountain ski resort. On the opening day of trial, the defendant's lawyer released a statement saying "workers in the ski shop like to joke around, including throwing snowballs made from the snow off rented skis". Prosecutor Micheal Angel said Thristel (the defendant) threw a heavy, large snowball filled with ice at Oelert as she was waiting for a bus with her boyfriend.
What Matters: I think what matters from this piece is really based on whose side you take. If you take the defendant's side, it's very easy to just say you were having fun, and that you do it all the time. You could also argue that it was just a snowball. On the other, hand if you take Oelert's side, it's also easy to say it was unnecessary, or exaggerate how hard the snowball was or how hard it was thrown. I think this trial could go either way.
How This Affects Me: Although I've never been to court, this article made me realize that you never really know when someone's going to react over something small or stupid and make it into a huge thing. I think you always have to know when and where to draw the line on things, and what's too much.
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