Ohio's Butler County indicts Punxsutawney Phil over late spring, asks for death penalty WEST CHESTER, Ohio - With temperatures in the 30s and lake effect snow, the first few days of spring have felt anything but spring-like. Though Clevelanders are used to Mother Nature’s fickle ways, one county in southwest Ohio is taking their anger out on a certain groundhog.
Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser filed and indictment against Punxsutawney Phil for misrepresenting an early spring. The fake lawsuit even seeks the death penalty if the famous rodent is convicted.
“Punxsutawney Phil did purposely, and with prior calculation and design, cause the people to believe that Spring would come early,” the indictment said. “Contrary to the Groundhog Day report, a snowstorm and record low temperatures have been and are predicted to continue in the near future…”
[Read the indictment here: http://bit.ly/WHVe9I ] About 20,000 people went to the rural part of Pennsylvania to see the groundhog predict the weather on Feb. 2. The furry little critter didn’t see his shadow, meaning spring would come early.
Power of Five meteorologist Mark Johnson said the groundhog is only correct 30 percent of the time. He also said his forecast is 85 percent right