In New York, March 2005, a disgruntled judge
named Robert Restaino arrested an entire courtroom of 46 people because someone refused to silence
their cell phone. When the jail cells became overly cramped,
14 of the occupants were shipped to another jail facility. Realizing that this was a pretty harsh sentence
against a large group of people for the act of one individual, Restaino released everyone
that same day. He later made the claim that he was suffering
from “personal stresses.” A state commission then removed Restaino from
his position. Though many of us can relate to the annoyance
of a phone going off in any type of setting, the actions of Restaino may have gone a little
too far, to say the least. Normally, when we imagine someone getting
arrested, we assume that person has done something terrible. But sometimes the punishment doesn’t quite
fit the crime. So what are some of the biggest punishments
for the smallest crimes around the world? Whether or not you think a crime is “small”
can be a subjective matter. Sometimes, however, a punishment can seem
a little more than too much for an act that is construed as minute by most people. Starting with the U.S., in February of 2014,
a man named Rickey Joe Moore was feeling pretty hungry and decided to snag a delicious hot
dog from a convenience store – well, at least we hope it was delicious for his sake. Across most other states, pocketing small
items such as a $1.49 hotdog would classify as a misdemeanor at the worst. In the state of Indiana, however, Rickey was
arrested on a felony theft charge, facing prison time of six months and up to three
years for this action. One odd aspect of this story though is that
Rickey did apparently pay for a fountain drink while trying to sneak off with the hotdog. Hopefully, it was worth the expense. Still, the American punishments are not nearly
as bad as some of the other countries on this list. In the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan,
for instance, you’d better be careful if you’re behind the wheel of a car. If you’re complaining about the fine for
your speeding ticket, that’s nothing compared to what you might be asked to do in this country. Any traffic violation here could land you
a week of picking cotton to contribute to the country’s harvesting operation. Your license will be temporarily suspended
until your time servicing the fields has concluded. This may seem like a bizarre punishment for
a mere traffic violation, but it is mild compared to some other punishments on this list. In Waziland, a country in South Africa that
is still ruled by a monarch, harsh, corporal punishments take place in schools. We’re not simply talking about a simple
whack on the hand for poor behavior. Children can be severely beaten by teachers
for not following directions. In 2015, a seventeen-year-old student was
killed during one of these beatings when he suffered a seizure during the beating. The king of Waziland argued against abolishing
this punishment in schools, saying within the same year of 2015 that children need this
and that continuing this practice will somehow help the country become a first-world nation
by 2020. If you’re scratching your head over this
logic, you’re not alone. We thought it would be interesting to also
mention that the king of Waziland lives in luxury with 15 wives and 25 children while
his people starve. Just to add a little perspective on the situation… As related to corporal punishment in schools,
the country of Zimbabwe has technically abolished it but that doesn’t mean some people still
don’t use it. In 2017, there were reports of some school
kids being hospitalized after their teacher beat them. Though the law has outlawed the practice since
2013, many still have trouble letting go of its use. Interestingly, in Malaysia, caning is a widespread
form of punishment but only for men. Women are spared from this pain unless they
are Muslim. This is because Muslims have their own system
for punishment here, which can include both men and women being caned or flogged. In case you were wondering about the difference
between being “caned” or “flogged,” it really depends on whether a whip or rod
is used but mostly, these terms are used interchangeably with the same meaning and used pretty loosely. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, “Flogging,
also called whipping or caning,” is aimed with “blows commonly directed to the person’s
back.” Lashing is similarly a form of flagellation
but, not surprisingly, utilizes lashes as the tool of choice rather than rods or whips. Ouch! We imagine that the pain and anguish of one
of these beatings would be too awful to endure! Speaking of being lashed though, in Indonesia
on October of 2016, a young Muslim woman received 23 lashes simply for standing too close to
her boyfriend. Do you think this is just a little overly
harsh? We’ll let you decide for yourself. In Iran, public floggings are a regular occurrence
and part of the judicial system. Floggings can be administered against those
who have committed serious offenses such as murders and rapes but can also be targeted
against less serious offenses like eating during Ramadan, premarital intercourse, or
even drinking alcohol. Yeah, you may want to rethink that cup of
beer if you ever find yourself here. Worse than beatings, in Saudi Arabia, it may
come to no surprise that there are many offenses that can lead to public executions. In 2016, there were 150 public beheadings. On the first day of 2019, the country saw
3 public executions. So, what crimes can get you beheaded here
exactly? Well, for one, Sharia law reigns supreme here
so being associated with the LGBT community can land you in a world of trouble. Even if you have proven yourself to be a lifelong
heterosexual, just the mere proximity of being around LGBT activity can be dangerous. Being associated with homosexuality, even
if you’re not a homosexual, could be life threatening. In 2018, a group of men were arrested for
being in a video where a gay wedding was allegedly being held. The men seemed surprised by the event and
may have simply just been spectators not actually involved in the making of the video at all. Nevertheless, they were arrested. Does this seem harsh to you? Well, that isn’t even the worst of it. In Brunei, a country in Southeast Asia, like
Saudi Arabia, it is illegal to be gay or lesbian. But here, instead of a quick beheading, you’re
more likely to be stoned to death for association. This, arguably, is much worse. Imagine being hit by one heavy rock after
the next without pause to take a breath. After a few hits, your battered and bruised
self would probably wish you were being beheaded by a sword instead of having your skull smashed
into pieces by a flying stone. Maybe you’re thinking that being flogged,
caned or lashed isn’t so bad now… But what about punishments for doing nothing
bad at all? In North Korea, as we have mentioned in our
past video, Everything We Know About The Horrific North Korean Labor Camps, you can inadvertently
be punished for a crime you did not commit! The three generations rule says that if you
commit a crime and receive punishment, the punishment applies to your children and grandchildren
as well. So, if your mom, dad or even grandparent is
convicted of a crime, you could spend your life in prison as well. Do you think these punishments fit their crimes? Which do you think is worse? Is there something we missed on this list? Let us know in the comments! Also, be sure to check out our other video
The Catherine Wheel - Worst Punishments In The History of Mankind! Thanks for watching, and, as always, don’t
forget to like, share, and subscribe. See you next time!
