[Archive 2008-10-09] Rap music fan sentenced to Beethoven, pays fine instead

Historical archive — originally published 2008-10-09. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

When 24-year-old Andrew Vactor of Urbana, Ohio, United States was convicted of violating the city's noise ordinance, Judge Susan J. Fornof-Lippencott offered to reduce the normal fine of US$150 to $35 if he agreed to listen to 20 hours of classical music. Fifteen minutes into the sentence the rap music fan changed his mind and paid the full fine in order to end his probation.

The sentence would have included selections from Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Claude Debussy. Chief Probation Officer Glenda Runkle says the department keeps three CDs for this type of sentence.

Although Judge Fornof-Lippencott hopes these sentences "might enlighten defendants", Vactor denied that musical taste played a role in his decision to pay the full fine. Vactor, a student at Urbana University, told reporters he needed to leave for basketball team practice. "I didn’t have the time to deal with that," he said. "I just decided to pay the fine."

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