Suicide Would Be ‘Doing Society a Favor,’ Judge Tells Defendant

When a defendant with multiple arrests asked to be sent to rehab instead of jail, retired Ohio municipal judge Michael Weigand told him that committing suicide would “be doing society a favor.” Weigand was brought in to help an overloaded Akron court, and eventually did send the defendant to a rehab program. He defended his remarks, saying they were intended to get the defendant’s attention, and that he does not regret saying them. Keith William Waterbeck, 21, had a history of arrests for aggravated trespassing, assault, robbery, burglary, and possession of drug paraphernalia. In their exchange, Weigand told Waterbeck, “you’re almost worthless, I’m just … balancing spending the taxpayers’ money, or letting you go out and maybe kill yourself.” When Waterbeck said killing himself was not his intention, Weigand responded: “Well, you’d be doing society a favor if you did.”