Son's sentence: Take mom out to lunch


By Michael S. Rosenwald, 12/6/2002

When 18-year-old Arturo Cruz appeared in Roxbury District Court yesterday to face trespassing and disorderly conduct charges, there was little chance he expected to be sentenced to lunch.

Standing behind plexiglass, his hands cuffed, his hair unkempt from a night in jail, Cruz listened respectfully as Judge David Donnelly chided him - not for illegally strolling the hallways of Madison Park High School and not for running from police officers.

He chided him for embarrassing his mother.

''Let me get this straight: You made your mother miss work and come here today, didn't you?'' Donnelly asked.

''Yeah.''

''What does your mother do for you?''

''Laundry. Cooks,'' Cruz said. He paused. ''Everything, I guess.''

''And you embarrass her here today. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.''

Donnelly called Cruz's mother to stand before him. He asked her where she enjoys having lunch. The woman was speechless. She looked down. She looked at her son. She looked back at the judge. She said, ''Legal Sea Foods.''

And so it was that first-time offender Arturo Cruz, in lieu of the typical $100 fine, was sentenced to buy his mother lunch yesterday at Legal Sea Foods. The order came with further stipulations. ''You make sure you eat well,'' Donnelly told Rosa Cruz. And to her son: ''You make sure you tip well.''

At 2:30 p.m., Cruz returned with his receipt. His mom ordered crab legs. The bill: $90.34.


This story ran on page B1 of the Boston Globe on 12/6/2002.